Opportunities for medical research are as close as the nearest doctor's office.

Both Medcenter One and St. Alexius Medical Center participate in clinical trials. Two areas that see the most participation are cardiology and rheumatology.

"A lot of physicians want to be on the cutting edge," St. Alexius clinical research director Elaine Kucera said.

Research can cover new drugs, using old drugs for new purposes and medical devices.

Research is either business sponsored or academic sponsored. Many times a sponsor will approach the hospital about a project, although it sometimes comes to the attention of the clinical research department through a doctor at the doctor or patient's request.

Participation is voluntary on behalf of the doctor and the patient. Even if a patient signs on for a study, they can opt out at any time. Doctors can also opt patients out of a study if it becomes detrimental to the treatment of the patient's condition.

When a study is being considered, the clinical research department helps prepare necessary paperwork, and it must be approved by the institutional review board of the facility.

"The role of the IRB is to make sure it (the research) makes sense and is balanced in the patient's favor," Medcenter One IRB chairman Dr. David Diebell said.

St. Alexius has about 25 to 30 clinical trials going at any given time, and Medcenter One has about 35 to 40 studies at any given time.

The federal government keeps a list online of potential clinical trials. It can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov. It is managed by the National Institutes of Health.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)