Randomized controlled trial (RCT)

  Health science researchers have long believed the randomized controlled trial (RCT) to be the “gold standard” of study designs. There are many reasons for their contention that an RCT should be preferred to any of the observational study designs. However, there are also instances in which employment of this design would be inappropriate.

In a 4-page paper, discuss the merits and shortcomings of the RCT as a study design with regard to:

1. Internal      validity
2. Confounding
3. Feasibility/appropriateness
4. External      validity

Length: 4 pages typed, double-spaced. Scholarly Resources required. APA format

Helpful resources:

Martin, G. (2013, October 28). Research Methods – Introduction. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/PDjS20kic54?list=PLpBtsPaXxxLhPd6QVtqB5EjIs0LYGqWK_

Martin, G. (2013, November 3). Cohort and Case Control Studies. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/J3GHTYa-gZg?list=PLpBtsPaXxxLhPd6QVtqB5EjIs0LYGqWK_

Martin, G. (2013, November 10). Randomized Control Trials and Confounding. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/7ybuE39BpQ8?list=PLpBtsPaXxxLhPd6QVtqB5EjIs0LYGqWK_

Melamed, A., & Robinson, J. N. (2019). Case-control studies can be useful but have many limitations: Study design: Case-control studies. An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 126(1), 23-23. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.15200

Melamed, A., & Robinson, J. N. (2018). A study design to identify associations: Study design: Observational cohort studies. An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 125(13), 1776-1776. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.15203

Sedgwick, P. (2015). Bias in observational study designs: Case-control studies. British Medical Journal, 350(jan30 4), h560-h560. doi:10.1136/bmj.h560

Thiese, M. S. (2014). Observational and interventional study design types; an overview. Biochemia Medica, 24(2), 199–210. http://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2014.022

Randomized Controlled Trial - Study Design 101. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2020, from https://himmelfarb.gwu.edu/tutorials/studydesign101/rcts.cfm

What is a randomised clinical trial? | MRC Clinical Trials ... (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2020, from https://www.ctu.mrc.ac.uk/patients-public/about-clinical-trials/what-is-a-randomised-clinical-trial/