TY - JOUR
T1 - The art of quality assessment of RCTs included in systematic reviews
AU - Verhagen, Arianne P.
AU - De Vet, Henrica C.W.
AU - De Bie, Robert A.
AU - Boers, Maarten
AU - Van Den Brandt, Piet A.
PY - 2001/1/1
Y1 - 2001/1/1
N2 - The best evidence on the efficacy of medical interventions is provided by high-quality trials summarized in high-quality systematic reviews or meta-analyses. The methodological quality of studies included in a systematic review can have a substantial impact on the estimates of the treatment effect and therefore on the conclusions of such a review. But what is the empirical evidence to support quality assessment of randomized clinical trials (RCTs)? We elaborate on questions such as: what is the concept of quality of individual studies (RCTs), can quality be measured validly and reliably? Plans for future research on this issue are proposed.
AB - The best evidence on the efficacy of medical interventions is provided by high-quality trials summarized in high-quality systematic reviews or meta-analyses. The methodological quality of studies included in a systematic review can have a substantial impact on the estimates of the treatment effect and therefore on the conclusions of such a review. But what is the empirical evidence to support quality assessment of randomized clinical trials (RCTs)? We elaborate on questions such as: what is the concept of quality of individual studies (RCTs), can quality be measured validly and reliably? Plans for future research on this issue are proposed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034956732&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-4356(00)00360-7
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-4356(00)00360-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 11438404
SN - 0895-4356
VL - 54
SP - 651
EP - 654
JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
IS - 7
ER -