In a workshop organized by the Clinical Research Roundtable, representatives from purchaser organizations (employers), payer organizations (health plans and insurance companies), and other stakeholder organizations (voluntary health associations, clinical researchers, research organizations, and the technology community) came together to explore the following questions:

• What do purchasers and payers need from the Clinical Research Enterprise?
• How have current efforts in clinical research met their needs?
• What are purchasers, payers, and other stakeholders willing to contribute to the enterprise?

The resulting workshop summary report, The Role of Purchasers and Payers in the Clinical Research Enterprise, documents these discussions and summarizes what employers and insurers need from and are willing to contribute to clinical research from both a business and a national health care perspective.