RCTs vs. Observational Studies?
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) can be the best way to answer a particular health care question, but they don’t reflect the real world, explains Dr. Robert Dubois, chief science officer at the National Pharmaceutical Council. In this brief video interview, Dr. Dubois discusses the pros and cons of both randomized controlled trials and observational studies and why there is such a great debate over which type of study design to use.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) can be the best way to answer a particular health care question, but they don’t reflect the real world, explains Dr. Robert Dubois, chief science officer at the National Pharmaceutical Council. In this brief video interview, Dr. Dubois discusses the pros and cons of both randomized controlled trials and observational studies and why there is such a great debate over which type of study design to use.
RCTs, observational studies and related topics will be the focus of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) workshop, "Observational Studies in a Learning Health System," on April 25-26.