A New Paradigm for Conducting Nutritional Research Studies: Live Clinicals

Funding for nutritional studies, like all medical research, is scarce. This leaves many high-quality investigators underfunded and seeking other means of support. We propose a novel way to conduct clinical, nutritional, research studies in real-time within a corporate setting. We have trademarked the concept as Live Clinicals, which involves a partnership among a food company's senior management, nutritional researchers, and the public, including customers. The fundamentals of conducting clinical research using the Live Clinical model are like in an academic setting. All components of clinical trials are adopted, but co-planned by senior management and the researcher. All data collected first needs to be useable by the company, and secondarily, be robust enough to be published. What is new with Live Clinicals is that the data are obtained in real-time. This capability has only recently been realized and embraced by consumers. The duration and cost of a Live Clinical is substantially less than using an academic center. Companies go at risk for what the participants report, but there is tremendous upside in the excitement surrounding the favorable comments. An example of a Live Clinical from a food company is presented.