Structured in a jargon-free question-and-answer format, each chapter provides concise and understandable information on a different aspect of randomized controlled trials, from the basics of trial design and terminology to the interpretation of results and their use in driving evidence-based medicine. The authors end each chapter with their musings, going beyond the evidence or citations, and sometimes even beyond orthodox correctness to share their thoughts and concerns about different aspects of randomized controlled trials, and their role within the health system.
Updated to include insights from the last decade, this second edition challenges over-reliance on randomized controlled trials by debating their strengths and limitations and discussing their optimal use in modern healthcare. It also includes a new and increasingly relevant chapter on the ethics of randomized trials.
World renowned writers and thinkers Drs Jadad and Enkin bring you this invaluable book for busy health professionals who wish to understand the theory of randomized controlled trials and their influence on clinical, research or policy decisions.Content:
Chapter 1 Randomized Controlled Trials: The Basics (pages 1–11):
Chapter 2 Types of Randomized Controlled Trials (pages 12–28):
Chapter 3 Bias in Randomized Controlled Trials (pages 29–47):
Chapter 4 Assessing the Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials: Why, What, How, and by Whom? (pages 48–61):
Chapter 5 Reporting and Interpreting Individual Trials: The Essentials (pages 62–77):
Chapter 6 From Individual Trials to Groups of Trials: Reviews, Meta?Analyses, and Guidelines (pages 78–94):
Chapter 7 From Trials to Decisions: The Basis of Evidence?Based Health Care (pages 95–109):
Chapter 8 Ethics and Clinical Trials: Are they Compatible? (pages 110–126):
Chapter 9 Reprise: More Musings (pages 127–129):