Many randomized clinical trials may not be justified: a cross-sectional analysis of the ethics and science of randomized clinical trials

We have proposed that three scientific criteria are important for the ethical justification of randomized clinical trials (RCTs): (1) they should be designed around a clear hypothesis; (2) uncertainty should exist around that hypothesis; (3) that uncertainty should be as established through a systematic review. We hypothesized that the majority of a sample of recently published RCTs would not explicitly incorporate these criteria, therefore rendering them potentially unjustified on scientific grounds.

Source: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology - January 3, 2018 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Julie De Meulemeester, Mark Fedyk, Lucas Jurkovic, Michael Reaume, Dar Dowlatshahi, Grant Stotts, Michel Shamy Tags: Original Article Source Type: research