Last July, Avery Davenport, Commonwealth’s Director of Clinical Research, shared his vision for building a brand-new clinical research program designed to bring new treatment options closer to patients living with chronic pain.
In the article, Avery described clinical research as a way to close the gap between innovation and access. Today, that vision continues to grow.
Over the past year, Commonwealth’s clinical research program has expanded into both Kentucky and South Carolina, creating more opportunities for eligible patients to participate in studies evaluating emerging therapies, medical devices, treatment strategies, and non-opioid approaches to pain care.
As the program grows, the approach remains the same. At Commonwealth, clinical research is integrated into the real-world clinical practice, where patients with chronic pain are already being evaluated and treated.
In the following Q&A, Avery shares how the research program has grown, how clinical studies connect with everyday pain management, and what he’s most excited about as the program continues to expand.
What inspired Commonwealth to build a dedicated clinical research department?
We wanted to continue to bridge the gap between groundbreaking advancements and all our patients who are enduring chronic pain. By leveraging our extensive patient base and expertise in interventional therapies, we can bring hope and healing to those who need it most, ensuring that the latest tools and treatments reach real-world practice faster and more effectively.
When people hear “clinical research,” they may think of a lab or something separate from everyday patient care. How does Commonwealth’s research department connect research with real-world pain management?
This is the difference between pre-clinical and clinical studies. Clinical studies involve the patient. They’re designed to understand how a treatment, device, procedure, or care approach performs in real patients under carefully controlled ethical and regulatory oversight.
The key point is that the research is involved on the clinical side, or at the “bedside.” We bring studies into the care setting where patients with chronic pain are being evaluated and treated.
Instead of testing an idea or theory in a lab, clinical research looks at whether an emerging therapy, device, or treatment strategy can safely and effectively help patients in real-world practice.
We take innovation beyond the lab to determine how it may safely and meaningfully benefit our patients living with chronic pain.
Why is it important for patients with chronic pain to have access to research opportunities, especially when it comes to next-generation or non-opioid treatment options?
Patients living with chronic pain deserve access to every opportunity that may improve their quality of life, especially when traditional treatment options have not provided enough relief.
Clinical research gives patients access to carefully monitored studies evaluating new therapies, technologies, devices, and non-opioid approaches that may help shape the future of chronic pain care.
This is important because chronic pain is complex. By participating in clinical research, eligible patients may gain access to alternative treatment options while also contributing to the evidence that helps providers better understand what is safe, effective, and meaningful in a real-world setting.
What safeguards are in place to make sure clinical research is conducted ethically, safely, and with the patient’s best interest at the center?
Before a study begins, it must go through formal review and approval processes, including Institutional Review Board oversight. The IRB’s role is to make sure the study is ethical, risks are minimized, and that patients are given clear information before deciding whether to participate.
Our studies are also guided by detailed study protocols, eligibility criteria, informed consent documents, scheduled study visits, and ongoing communication between the research team, physicians, sponsors, and oversight groups.
Patients are not simply “signed up” for a clinical trial. Patients are carefully screened, educated, and monitored throughout the study.
Most importantly, we make sure the patient is aware that participation is voluntary. Patients will understand what the study involves, what the potential risks and benefits are, and that their standard-of-care treatment remains the priority.
Commonwealth’s clinical research program has expanded into both Kentucky and South Carolina. What does that growth mean for patients and for the future of pain care at Commonwealth?
For Commonwealth, it means contributing to the medical literature. We continue to become more authoritative and influential by helping to drive the literature through clinical trials.
For patients, it means they are part of advancing medicine through post-market and registry studies. For earlier phase trials, it means patients may receive access to medical devices and treatments they would not find elsewhere.
It’s critical we have this for our patients. Quality data will continue to advance our field.
What are you most excited about as Commonwealth’s research program continues to grow?
There is quite a bit to be excited about. First, we need to continue expanding our portfolio of early-phase clinical trials to increase patient access.
Next, I have a vision of us becoming multidisciplinary. I’m excited to expand our orthopedic, neurologic, and pain clinical trial footprint by leveraging physician partnerships in our ambulatory surgery centers.
Lastly, I am excited by the enthusiasm our physicians continue to show for advancing care. The gaps in care we identify, the quality of the clinical data we will showcase, and the new device indications we may help contribute to will be invaluable to our patients.
From Growth to Greater Access
As Commonwealth’s clinical research program continues to grow, the goal is to create more opportunities for eligible patients while contributing to the data and evidence that help move pain care forward.
For patients living with chronic pain, that means research is not just about the future of medicine; it also helps expand the options available to them today.
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