What doctors and hospitals gain

For doctors, clinical trials are both a training ground and a motivation—they broaden knowledge, compare therapies, and do not focus only on 'one usual procedure'. Clinical sites learn precise processes that increase efficiency and quality of care; an inefficient study simply won't make it through. International trials bring audited results, citations, and a good reputation, which raises the teams' prestige. Moreover, it helps retain young doctors at the sites, because they are part of an attractive and meaningful project.

Impacts on society and the future of trials

The benefits for the system are not just about the study sponsor 'paying for' part of the treatment. Better practices and processes are introduced that save time and costs, and entire teams of qualified people engage in the project. According to industry estimates, the net contribution to healthcare can be significant, with effects that go beyond direct investments. Slovakia is not at the bottom: over the past decade, approximately 1 374 clinical drug trials have been recorded here in the European registry, and when adjusted per capita or by GDP we remain at a solid European average.

The future will be accelerated by wearable sensors, rings and watches, chips or home devices that enable precise, continuous patient monitoring and decentralized trials. The goal is to test on a broader population, not just a narrow group, so that the benefit is demonstrated under real-world conditions. Artificial intelligence significantly helps in discovering and preclinical testing of molecules, but it will not replace the clinical trials themselves. For a country with five million inhabitants, a high-quality national data infrastructure and registries are an opportunity; if we build them, our diverse environment can deliver highly relevant data and an even greater societal benefit.