Registration of a clinical trial, output of project TQ01000031 – Rehabilitation exercise training in augmented and virtual reality, in an international database ClinicalTrials.gov Managed by the National Library of Medicine (part of the US National Institutes of Health), it ensures scientific transparency, the ethical protection of patients and compliance with legal and publication obligations. It prevents pharmaceutical companies or researchers from concealing unsuccessful or negative test results, and allows both the public and doctors access to information about ongoing research.

Ethical and social significance

Preventing data bias: This prevents what is known as ‘publication bias’, whereby only studies with positive results are published, whilst those with negative results are withheld.

Patient protection: It reduces the risk of unnecessarily repeating tests that have already been carried out and proved unsuccessful, thereby avoiding exposing people to unnecessary health risks.

Academic and publishing significance

Condition for publication in journals: Most of the world’s leading medical journals will refuse to publish an article on a study that has not been registered in advance.

Planning further research: This provides researchers with an overview of gaps in current knowledge and of what is currently being tested around the world.