Advances in medicine are the result of new ideas refined by a rigorous process of clinical research. New treatments must be proven to be both safe and effective through well-regulated clinical research studies before they can be made widely available to patients. Sometimes, participation in a clinical trial is a patient’s last hope for a cure. Clinical trials may bring benefit to the patient, but ultimately they benefit multitudes of patients as scientific results are compiled and analyzed.
Providence is committed to taking part in clinical trials – to ensure new and potentially lifesaving discoveries reach patients as quickly as possible. Bradley Evans, M.D. (photo above), an interventional cardiologist with Providence Heart and Vascular Institute at Providence Portland Medical Center, is one physician leader integrating research and clinical trials into his patient care responsibilities.
Dr. Evans, who studied at the University of California School of Medicine,
is currently focusing on carotid interventions. He follows patients after
carotid stenting procedures to collect data about their outcomes for a
registry database. This data collection helps physicians around the country
assess the effectiveness of these minimally invasive procedures that have
become the cornerstone of so many heart and vascular procedures across
the United States.
Dr. Evans also offers patients the opportunity to participate
in randomized clinical research trials that assess the outcomes of patients
who have had carotid stenting procedures against those patients who undergo
traditional carotid surgery. The data from these trials
help fuel continued advancement in the prevention and treatment
of heart disease.
“Choosing between an interventional procedure and traditional surgery is not always clear-cut,” he says.
“We have an extraordinary database of information about our cases
that helps to inform our decision-making to ensure the best outcomes for
patients.”
Providence has a deep commitment to clinical excellence
through clinical trials and “bench to bedside” research in
laboratories on both the Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent
campuses. “Providence is a real leader in finding ways to have basic
science meet the needs of the community in a compassionate and effective
way,” says Dr. Evans.