title: Interventions in different disciplines: a comparison of clinical drug trials and economic experiments.
abstract: A neglected area in studying experimental interventions is to compare different disciplines with each other. This editorial performs an interdisciplinary analysis as it contrasts interventions in clinical drug trials with interventions in economic experiments. There are not only methodological similarities (method of difference and randomization) but also differences (blinding). The large number of similar challenges and problems in implementation and analysis (e.g., self-selection, the volunteer subject, and external validity) offers the potential for cross-fertilization of the two disciplines whether their language barriers can be overcome.
authors.affiliation: a Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gruener
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design
keywords: blinding; clinical drug trials; economic experiments; efficacy paradox; method of difference; randomization; randomized controlled trials