The development and testing of clinical treatments such as an investigational drug or therapy is called what?

The process you're referring to is best described as clinical trials. Clinical trials are essential steps in the development and testing of new drugs and therapies, where volunteers are given investigational treatments to assess their efficacy and safety. These trials follow a rigorous protocol and are conducted in phases to gather comprehensive data on how the treatments work in a human population.

Experimental research is more of a broad term that encompasses various methodologies and types of investigations that test hypotheses and look for causal relationships but does not specifically refer to the structured approach used in clinical trials for new medical treatments. Health care innovation relates to the broader field of improving health care through new ideas and practices, but it does not solely focus on the testing of new therapies. Medical practice refers to the everyday application of existing medical knowledge by healthcare professionals, rather than the development of new treatments.

Therefore, clinical trials are the accurate term for the development and testing of investigational drugs and therapies, reflecting a structured and regulated process for advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care.