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Study Design Experiments

The document discusses experimental studies and randomized controlled trials. Randomized controlled trials are considered the gold standard for research designs as they provide the most convincing evidence of a relationship between an exposure and effect by randomly assigning subjects to treatment and control groups. Key aspects include randomization, treatment and control groups, outcomes, and the basic trial design process.

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Abdinasir Ahmed Mohamed
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views

Study Design Experiments

The document discusses experimental studies and randomized controlled trials. Randomized controlled trials are considered the gold standard for research designs as they provide the most convincing evidence of a relationship between an exposure and effect by randomly assigning subjects to treatment and control groups. Key aspects include randomization, treatment and control groups, outcomes, and the basic trial design process.

Uploaded by

Abdinasir Ahmed Mohamed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Experimental Studies

Experimental Studies
• In an experiment, we are interested in the
consequences of some treatment on some outcome.

• The subjects in the study who actually receive the


treatment of interest are called the treatment group.

• The subjects in the study who receive no treatment or


a different treatment are called the comparison group.
Cont…
• Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
– a design with subjects randomly assigned to
“treatment” and “comparison” groups

– provides most convincing evidence of relationship


between exposure and effect

– not possible to use RCTs to test effects of


exposures that are expected to be harmful, for
ethical reasons
RANDOMIZATION outcome
Intervention
no outcome
Experimental Design

Study
population
outcome
Control
no outcome
baseline
future

time
Study begins here (baseline point)
Basic Trial Design

Population Treatment Dx No
Dx

Sample Randomization

Control
Placebo Dx No
Dx
• Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
– the “gold standard” of research designs
– provides most convincing evidence of
relationship between exposure and effect

• E.g. drug and vaccine trails


Randomized Controlled Trials
• Disadvantages
– Very expensive
– It may be unethical, for example, to assign
persons to certain treatment or comparison
groups
How randomization works
Suppose you want to
determine whether a
particular diet (the exposure)
is associated with improved
weight gain in lab animals
(outcome)

Randomization encourages equal numbers of


fast-growing rats in each group
8
Stages of experimentation
– Phase I: dose-finding
– Phase II: preliminary evidence of efficacy
– Phase III: comparisons to standard therapy
– Phase IV: post-marketing surveillance
Next week guest speaker
Aadan Faradhuub

Country Research Manager, Save the Children


PhD Candidate (Public Health)

Topic: Doing qualitative studies

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