A method for demonstrating clinical trial principles to medical students.
Randomized clinical trials are necessary for the valid assessment of treatment efficacy. To expose medical students to trial aims, techniques and terminology, we developed a scheme for active student involvement without facing the ethical problem of drug administration or application of invasive methods to a captive group of subjects. As an active drug, coffee is used and compared with an identical placebo (decaffeinated coffee). The effects on heart rate and urine volume are determined.
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D011897:Random Allocation