Clinical Research Coordinator: Classes & Certification

This list contains some of the most common online clinical research coordinator courses.

• Clinical Research Principles Course: This course provides an overview of the clinical research process, its functions, history and development. Students learn project management skills and clinical practice guidelines. They learn about research team member roles, typical study designs and developmental phases of clinical trials.
• Medical Ethics Course: Professors introduce students to the values employed by the field of medical ethics, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, dignity and honesty. Students consider how to develop a framework for making ethical decisions informed by these values and the law. They discuss such ethical issues as favorable cost-benefit ratio, participant selection, informed consent and confidentiality.
• Medical Terminology Course: This course covers standard medical terminology used in the clinical research field. Students learn vocabulary relevant to anatomy, bodily systems, diagnostics, therapies, surgery, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. This knowledge enhances their effectiveness with managing data and ensuring quality control.
• Health Information and the Law Course: Students get an overview of clinical research guidelines and regulations that aim to protect human subjects and ensure research integrity. They learn about obligations of regulatory groups, research sponsors and principal investigators. Students also discuss the types of violations that constitute as scientific misconduct and consider the consequences.
• Introduction to Health Records Course: This course explores the confidentiality, purpose and use of the medical history of a patient. It presents how to use medical records to plan for the care of the patient, laws for the use of these records and also to learn what care has been provided to the patient up to this point. Students learn how important it is to be accurate and organized when keeping clinical records.
• Study Financing Course: This course provides an overview of study funding management. Students learn about creating and submitting proposals, complying with financial regulations and considering direct and indirect costs.
• Medical Device History and Trends Course: In this course, students explore the history of medical devices and the current trends that affect the research and development process in the industry. Students examine case studies and consider them from medical, business, ethical and legal perspectives.

Clinical Research Educational Programs Online

Both Associate of Applied Science and Certificate of Completion programs in clinical research coordination cover clinical research site and data management, study design and regulatory compliance. Certificate programs are geared toward those who already possess sufficient experience and education in the healthcare field, and they focus solely on core skills. Associate's degree programs offer additional general, professional and healthcare-specific education. Much of the coursework for clinical research education programs can be completed online, but programs often have internship requirements that must be met in person. In order to become certified by the Society of Clinical Research Associates or Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), clinical research coordinators must pass an exam and meet professional experience requirements. The ACRP offers continuing education credits online through Web seminars.

A Master's of Science in Clinical Research and Management or a Master's of Science in Clinical Research for Health Professionals are examples of advanced degrees available online. Offered by Drexel University, these two degrees are designed for working professionals and clinicians with a minimum of an undergraduate degree, although Drexel also offers certificate programs online.