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Some Reflections on Randomized Controlled Trials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2009

Tore Scherstén
Tore Scherstén
Affiliation:
University of Göteborg
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Extract

Few would argue that the randomized clinical trial is the most definitive instrument available for measuring the safety and efficacy of a new medical technology, be it drug, device, or procedure. Randomization removes the potential for bias in the allocation of subjects to the intervention group or to the control group. In addition, randomization tends to produce comparable groups which can be further strengthened by stratification and by stratified analyses. The randomized controlled trial guarantees validity of statistical tests, as long as the sample size is large enough to avoid type-II error.

Type
Technology Assessment: Policy, Clinical, and Methodological Issues
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , January 1986 , pp. 39 - 42
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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References

REFERENCES

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