How can our institutions optimize clinical research in France?

The laws regulating the practice of clinical research in France, in particu lar the law of 20 December 1988, the so-called Huriet's law, constitute a m ajor advance for medical progress. However, their implementation by adminis trative offices generates practical difficulties which impair the developme nt of applied research in human beings. Beyond the laws themselves, it appe ars that our institutions are unprepared to optimize the conduct of such re search. This round table sought to list the existing problems and to propos e constructive solutions or objectives to be reached to optimize clinical r esearch in France, with a view to improving French participation in interna tional collaborative programmes, notably European ones. Evaluation of proje cts and practices, financial support and accounting, and some aspects of ex isting laws have been identified as the major sources of our difficulties. Harmonization and clarification of our procedures as well as improvement of training should be our primary objectives to achieve a higher level of med ical, scientific, financial and administrative quality in the conduct of cl inical research. Creation of a referential Web site, designed and updated b y a central public organization, is an imperative step towards reaching the se objectives.