The purpose of this research was to examine the current state of clinical research into how lifestyle factors can impact health outcomes in chronic disease, and to test the hypothesis that such research has lagged studies of drug therapy in terms of delivering actionable results. The research was conducted firstly by completing a thorough literature review of the topic, and then gathering primary data through a series of structured interviews with a panel of contributors drawn from Academia, Industry, and the Medical Profession.

The findings were illuminating, and supported the published material but also went further; exposing a broad level of dissatisfaction with many aspects of the current clinical research process and how the results of this research is reviewed, published and disseminated to healthcare professionals and patients.

The conclusion is inescapable – the field of clinical research requires a significant overhaul if it is to deliver meaningful evidence in the increasingly complex world of modern medicine.

A number of pragmatic suggestions for further research were developed, including a concept to address the risk of skewed trial results arising from manufacturers sponsoring and designing trials of their own products, and an initiative to fundamentally rebalance the clinical research ecosystem by involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders at every stage in the process