How to Design the Control Group in Randomized Controlled Trials of Acupuncture?

In evidence-based medicine, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the preferred method for evaluating the efficacy of interventions. In regard to acupuncture RCTs, the most difficult issues are the design of the control group and implementation of the principle of “double-blinding.” We compared th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine Vol. 2012; no. 2012; pp. 1 - 7
Main Authors Chen, Chao-Hsun, Lin, Jaung-Geng, Huang, Yu-Che, Chen, Yi-Hung
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2012
Hindawi Limited
Subjects
Acupuncture
Design
Evidence-based medicine
Placebo effect
Randomization
Review
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation-TENS
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Summary:In evidence-based medicine, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the preferred method for evaluating the efficacy of interventions. In regard to acupuncture RCTs, the most difficult issues are the design of the control group and implementation of the principle of “double-blinding.” We compared the advantages and limitations associated with different control group designs in acupuncture RCTs, to assist researchers in this field.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
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Academic Editor: Gerhard Litscher
ISSN:1741-427X
1741-4288
DOI:10.1155/2012/875284