title: Six pairs of things to celebrate on International Clinical Trials Day.
abstract: The Editor has invited me to mark the occasion with a few words "on the development and/or impact of randomised trials over the last decade, or perhaps some thoughts about the future." I do so here by citing some recent developments that give me cause for both pride about the present state of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and optimism about their future. Respecting the sample size of James Lind's trial and the space allotted me by the Editor, they appear in six pairs.
authors.affiliation: Trout Research & Education Center, Markdale, ON, Canada. sackett@bmts.com
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sackett
mesh_terms: D026661:Clinical Trials Data Monitoring Committees; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003906:Developing Countries; D030881:Disclosure; D028744:Ethics Committees, Research; D005544:Forecasting; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D061214:Patient Safety; D018579:Patient Selection; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends; D012107:Research Design / Q000639:trends; D035842:Research Subjects