Randomised controlled trial
Randomised controlled trial (often abbreviated as RCT) is a type of scientific experiment which aims to reduce bias when testing a new treatment. The people participating in the trial are randomly allocated to either the group receiving the treatment under investigation or to a group receiving standard treatment (or placebo treatment) as the control.
History[edit | edit source]
The first recorded RCT was conducted by the British statistician Austin Bradford Hill in 1948. The trial aimed to test the efficacy of streptomycin, a new treatment for tuberculosis. Since then, RCTs have become a standard method in the design of experiments in the fields of medicine and psychology.
Methodology[edit | edit source]
RCTs are often used in testing the efficacy or effectiveness of various types of medical intervention and may provide information about adverse effects, such as drug reaction. In some cases, they are combined with qualitative research to gain more data.
Advantages and Disadvantages[edit | edit source]
RCTs have a number of advantages. They can provide robust evidence for cause and effect, as well as being able to control for confounding variables. However, they also have disadvantages. They can be expensive to run, and ethical and practical issues may arise in relation to the randomisation process.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Randomised controlled trial Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.Contributors: Admin, Prab R. Tumpati, MD