title: Understanding randomised controlled trials.
abstract: The hierarchy of evidence in assessing the effectiveness of interventions or treatments is explained, and the gold standard for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, the randomised controlled trial, is discussed. Issues that need to be considered during the critical appraisal of randomised controlled trials, such as assessing the validity of trial methodology and the magnitude and precision of the treatment effect, and deciding on the applicability of research results, are discussed. Important terminologies such as randomisation, allocation concealment, blinding, intention to treat, p values, and confidence intervals are explained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals, Charlestown Road, Blackley, Manchester, M9 7AA, UK. tony.akobeng@cmmc.nhs.uk
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Akobeng
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D032882:Comprehension; D003657:Decision Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results