TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence-Based Public Health
T2 - Moving Beyond Randomized Trials
AU - Victora, Cesar G.
AU - Habicht, Jean Pierre
AU - Bryce, Jennifer
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2004/3
Y1 - 2004/3
N2 - Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are essential for evaluating the efficacy of clinical interventions, where the causal chain between the agent and the outcome is relatively short and simple and where results may be safely extrapolated to other settings. However, causal chains in public health interventions are complex, making RCT results subject to effect modification in different populations. Both the internal and external validity of RCT findings can be greatly enhanced by observational studies using adequacy or plausibility designs. For evaluating large-scale interventions, studies with plausibility designs are often the only feasible option and may provide valid evidence of impact. There is an urgent need to develop evaluation standards and protocols for use in circumstances where RCTs are not appropriate.
AB - Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are essential for evaluating the efficacy of clinical interventions, where the causal chain between the agent and the outcome is relatively short and simple and where results may be safely extrapolated to other settings. However, causal chains in public health interventions are complex, making RCT results subject to effect modification in different populations. Both the internal and external validity of RCT findings can be greatly enhanced by observational studies using adequacy or plausibility designs. For evaluating large-scale interventions, studies with plausibility designs are often the only feasible option and may provide valid evidence of impact. There is an urgent need to develop evaluation standards and protocols for use in circumstances where RCTs are not appropriate.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.94.3.400
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.94.3.400
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14998803
AN - SCOPUS:1442281111
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 94
SP - 400
EP - 405
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
IS - 3
ER -