Santiago concentrates Chile's clinical research infrastructure — university-affiliated hospitals, private clinics, and independent research centers, most within one metropolitan area. For medical device studies, site selection is a clinical decision: the accredited ethics committee may review for external institutions, so the best facility and the preferred committee do not have to be the same place.
Chile's clinical research capacity is metropolitan: the great majority of experienced sites sit in Santiago, spanning three institutional types — university-affiliated hospitals with academic research offices, private clinics with dedicated research units, and independent research centers built around clinical investigation. For a sponsor, that concentration is operationally convenient: monitors, device logistics, and investigator meetings happen in one city.