Evaluating complementary therapies for use in the National Health Service: 'Horses for courses'. Part 2: Alternative research strategies

Author(s): FITTER, M.

Abstract: The classical randomized controlled trial (RCT) is still held up by many researchers as the gold standard design for evaluating the effectiveness of a clinical intervention, despite its limitations. This has the consequence of polarizing the complementary medicine research community into those who wish to force research into this model, and those who reject the RCT as impractical. In this, the second of two papers which assess the usefulness of specific research designs for evaluating the provision of complementary therapies in the National Health Service (NHS), we describe two alternative RCT designs: the partial randomization (randomized block) design, and a pragmatic design with prior randomization. The strengths and weaknesses of each design are discussed. We conclude that they should be considered as serious alternatives to the 'old favourite' in the 'race' to evaluate the potential contribution of complementary therapies to the NHS.

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