The World Health Organization (WHO) launches a free, online, self-paced online course on ‘Good Practices for Clinical Trial Design and Implementation’. Designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to trial quality, the course covers five key scientific and ethical principles for designing and conducting high-quality clinical trials.
This course is designed for learners with little or no experience of conducting clinical trials. While no practical experience is required, an understanding of the theory behind standard trial designs and key research concepts is assumed. The course provides a principles-based foundation to support thinking and decision-making in real-world contexts.
Based on the WHO Guidance for Best Practices for Clinical Trials, the course focuses on five universally applicable principles that ensure high-quality trials. Learners will explore how to apply these principles to make informed, risk-proportionate decisions throughout the trial lifecycle. This ensures the optimal use of available resources and the generation of reliable, decision-ready results that can inform healthcare policies and practices.
The course consists of 9 learning modules and a final course assessment. It takes approximately 4.5 hours to complete.
A launch event for the course will be organised on 4 May 2025.