If you ask ten different people within clinical research what the main problems are that are holding the industry back, you may get some consensus, but equally you could receive ten different responses.

What we can forget, though, while we’re focusing on the issues we’d like to change, is how much the industry gets right.

Without clinical research there would be hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of people around the world whose lives would be worse, or who simply wouldn’t be here.

I think it’s easy to forget from inside the industry how good an effect the results of research can have for improving people’s quality of life.

I’m not saying people involved in research should be resting on laurels or feeling pleased with their contribution, but I think it is worth a minute or two now and then to reflect on the positive impact that can be made when things do go as desired.