What the article offers
This ultrashort 1-page resource:
- Explains why randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for research
- Introduces key aspects of RCTs such as blinding and intent-to-treat analysis
- Recognizes some limitations of RCTs
- Includes helpful resources for further reading
The Useful Resources section includes links to the CONSORT statement on how to report the results of an RCT, and to The CoRe Outcomes in WomeN’s health (CROWN) Initiative.
(Note: As of this writing, the link to the CROWN Initiative is incorrect; here is the correct link to the CROWN Initiative) Overall, this resource is concise yet comprehensive, making it a useful quick reference.
Who created it
This article was written by Eduardo Hariton and Joseph J. Locascio and published in the ‘Research Methods Guides’ series in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Eduardo Hariton, MD, MBA, was then a resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Joseph J. Locascio, PhD, is a an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, a Senior Biostatistician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a Collaborating Statistician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a Consulting Statistician for Harvard Medical School, and a member of the Statistical Advisory Boards for the journals PLOS One (Public Library of Science) and Lancet-Neurology.
Citation: Hariton, E. and Locascio, J.J. (2018), Randomised controlled trials – the gold standard for effectiveness research. BJOG: Int J Obstet Gy, 125: 1716-1716.
