Introduction
Medical research encompasses three main phases, namely basic medical research, preclinical research, and clinical research. The main goals of medical research include the explanation of fundamental scientific principles, discovery of new treatments, and the development of knowledge. For instance, medical research is conducted to develop new drugs and methods of disease diagnosis. Examples of successful outcomes of medical research include the development of polio and measles vaccines, insulin, antibiotics, and the discovery of new surgical techniques.
History
Medical research dates back to Biblical times as documented in the book of Daniel. The experiment was ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar and it resembled a clinical trial (Polgar & Thomas, 2013). One group consumed meat and wine only, while the other group ate vegetables only for 10 days. The group that ate vegetables appeared better nourished than the group that ate meat and drank wine (Polgar & Thomas, 2013). In modern times, medical research dates back to the 16th century. Ambroise Pare (a surgeon) used a mixture of egg yolks, turpentine, and oil from roses to treat wounded soldiers (Polgar & Thomas, 2013). 200 years later, James Lind conducted the first controlled trial in modern times in order to discover a cure for scurvy.
Government Involvement
The government became involved in medical research in the 1880s after the creation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH emanated from the Marine Hospital Service (MHS), which was responsible for testing passengers and seamen for the presence of cholera and yellow fever (Patel & Rushefsky, 2015). The government’s involvement came after European scientists reported that many infectious diseases were caused by microscopic organisms (Patel & Rushefsky, 2015). For example, a comma-shaped bacterium was cited as the cause of cholera. Positive effects of government’s involvement included the development of MRI, increased knowledge on cancer development, and the discovery of vaccines and antibiotics (Patel & Rushefsky, 2015). Negative effects of government’s involvement included increased corruption in the American pharmaceutical industry, the development of toxic drugs, and inconsistent trial results (Patel & Rushefsky, 2015). The government saw their involvement as revolutionary and positive because it helped the public and providers of health services and products immensely by facilitating the discovery of vaccines and the development of new treatment methods. Health care organizations developed new drugs and treatments that improved public health through the eradication of certain chronic and infectious diseases.
Government-Funded Research Initiatives
Cancer Moonshot and the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) are examples of medical research initiatives that are largely funded by the government. The Cancer Moonshot initiative aims to enhance cancer prevention and detection and make more treatment therapies available to more patients (National Institute of Health, 2018). The President appointed members to the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) to achieve the goals. The HEAL Initiative aims to enhance the development and improvement of scientific solutions to opioid addiction (National Institute of Health, 2018). Consumers will benefit the most because cancer and opioid addiction affect millions of Americans who cannot get help because treatment is expensive.
I think the government should continue to fund medical research in order to ensure that patients continue to receive affordable health care. Research conducted by private citizens and foundations leads to the development expensive treatment remedies and drugs that patients cannot ford (Polgar & Thomas, 2013). Medical research is expensive, and so, the government should continue to provide funding.
Conclusion
Revolutionary scientific breakthroughs in the field of medicine such as polio and measles vaccines can be attributed to medical research. Government’s involvement in medical research has led to the development of breakthroughs in the medical field that have enhanced the provision of health care services. In that regard, the government should increase funding toward medical research.
References
National Institute of Health (2018). Medical research initiatives. Web.
Patel, K., & Rushefsky, M. E. (2015). Health care policy in an age of new technologies (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Polgar, S., & Thomas, S. A. (2013). Introduction to research in the health sciences (6th ed.). New York, NY: Elsevier Health Sciences.