randomized controlled trial

randomized controlled trial

A randomized controlled trial is a type of scientific study that compares two or more groups to see whether a treatment or intervention works. In this design, participants are assigned by chance to different groups so that one group gets the experimental treatment and another gets a control, which might be a standard therapy or a placebo. Random assignment helps make the groups similar at the start, which reduces the influence of other factors and makes the results more reliable. Many randomized studies also use blinding, meaning the participants, the researchers, or both do not know who is in which group to prevent accidental bias. Researchers decide ahead of time what outcomes they will measure and how many people are needed so the study can detect real effects. These trials are especially valuable because they provide the strongest evidence about cause and effect in medicine and health care. They are used to test new drugs, surgical techniques, behavioral programs, and medical devices. Ethical safeguards, like informed consent and careful monitoring, are important because people are receiving experimental care. Even well-designed randomized studies have limitations, such as cost, time, and sometimes limited applicability to different populations. Still, their ability to reduce bias and directly compare interventions makes them a cornerstone of decision-making in healthcare.