Clinical trials are conducted to collect safety and efficacy data on health interventions such as drugs and devices. They begin with small pilot studies in healthy volunteers and/or patients, then expand to larger studies comparing the new intervention to standard treatments. Clinical trial design aims to limit bias through randomization, blinding, and placebos. Trials progress through phases from initial safety testing to confirmation of effectiveness in large populations. Systematic reviews then synthesize evidence from multiple high-quality randomized controlled trials.