PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A K Akobeng
TI  - Understanding randomised controlled trials
AID  - 10.1136/adc.2004.058222
DP  - 2005 Aug 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - 840--844
VI  - 90
IP  - 8
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/90/8/840.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/90/8/840.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child2005 Aug 01; 90
AB  - 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.