Collaborating when the medical director is also Site Principal Investigator

When a medical director also serves as a Site Principal Investigator, the first task is to distinguish clinical care from research. The same organization may support both, but they are separate activities with different purposes, decisions, documentation, and oversight. A clinical consultation concerns a person's care. A research conversation concerns a study and its protocol. Neither should be assumed to answer the other.

Mood Institute's public ClinicalTrials.gov listings for NCT06713616 and NCT06725277 identify the site's research leadership and provide a starting point for understanding the studies. The registry can explain the public purpose and status of a study, but it does not replace a conversation with the research team. It also does not establish whether a particular person will take part.

For a referring office, a simple first question can prevent confusion: Is this communication about clinical consultation, research, or both? Then identify the right contact for each area. Ask who handles referral records, who responds to research questions, and how updates may be shared back with the referring clinician. Keep these roles clear even when clinic and research programs operate at the same site.

If research is part of the conversation, ask how the site separates research procedures from clinical decision-making, what the study team can explain from the public listing, and what happens if someone asks about participation. Research participation follows the study protocol and ethics oversight. Clinical decisions follow an individualized evaluation. A public page or early inquiry should not be treated as screening.

Before sending any patient-specific material, confirm the secure clinical or research channel and the purpose of the transfer. Use the consultation form only for requested information, and keep records or study files on the confirmed secure channel. Review NCT06713616 and NCT06725277 on ClinicalTrials.gov for current public details, then contact the appropriate Mood Institute team to clarify the next conversation.