Randomised control trails Flashcards
What is a randomised controlled trial (RCT)?
A study design that randomly assigns participants into an experimental group or a control group to measure the effect of an intervention/treatment.
True or False: In an RCT, participants are assigned to groups based on their characteristics.
False - all participants have similar characteristics - they are randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group.
What is the primary purpose of randomisation in RCTs?
The participants are randomised into one of two groups (experimental or control) to eliminate bias and ensure that the groups are comparable.
Fill in the blank: RCTs are considered the gold standard for __________.
evaluating the efficacy of interventions - being highly standardised and reliable.
What is a control group?
A group of participants that does not receive the experimental treatment and is used for comparison.
What are the ethical considerations in conducting RCTs?
Informed consent, deception, and ensuring that participants are not harmed.
What is the significance of sample size in RCTs?
A larger sample size increases the study’s power to detect a true effect and reduces the margin of error.
True or False: RCTs can only be conducted in clinical settings.
False
What is a placebo?
An inactive substance or treatment used as a control in an RCT.
What does ‘random allocation’ refer to in RCTs?
The process of assigning participants to different groups using a random sampling method.
What is the main limitation of RCTs?
They can be expensive, time-consuming, and may not always be feasible for ethical or practical reasons.
What does ‘external validity’ refer to in RCTs?
The extent to which the results of the trial can be generalised to other settings or populations.
What is the main goal of evaluation in the context of RCTs?
To assess the impact and effectiveness of an intervention.
What is the primary purpose of a randomised control trial (RCT)?
To determine the efficacy of an intervention or treatment by comparing outcomes between a treatment group and a control group.
True or False: Random assignment to each group helps to eliminate selection bias.
True
Fill in the blank: In a randomised control trial, participants are assigned to groups _____ or _____ to receive either the intervention or a placebo.
randomly, equally
True or False: Randomised control trails mainly gather quantitative data
True
True or False: Randomised control trails are highly standardised
True
True or False: A strength of RCT’s are that they are easy to analyse as can compare results between the experimental and control group – gathers quantitative data.
True
What are the 3 strengths of RCT’s?
Low bias / highly reliable (standardised) / easy to analyse
What are the 3 limitations of RCT’s?
Expensive / time consuming / ethical issues with deception and informed consent of control group
