Alternatives to the Randomized Controlled Trial

Public health researchers are addressing new research questions (e.g., effects of environmental tobacco smoke, Hurricane Katrina) for which the randomized controlled trial (RCT) may not be a feasible option. Drawing on the potential outcomes framework (Rubin Causal Model) and Campbellian perspective...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of public health (1971) Vol. 98; no. 8; pp. 1359 - 1366
Main Authors West, Stephen G, Duan, Naihua, Pequegnat, Willo, Gaist, Paul, Des Jarlais, Don C, Holtgrave, David, Szapocznik, Jose, Fishbein, Martin, Rapkin, Bruce, Clatts, Michael, Mullen, Patricia Dolan
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.08.2008
American Public Health Association
Subjects
Biological and medical sciences
Causality
Choice Behavior
Clinical trials
Confidence intervals
Employment
Environmental effects
Epidemiologic Research Design
Humans
Hurricanes
Intervention
Job hunting
Medical research
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Observational studies
Passive smoking
Prevention programs
Public Health
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Qualitative Research
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Regression Analysis
Religious organizations
Reproducibility of Results
Research Innovations and Recommendations
Research Subjects - psychology
Studies
Tobacco smoke
Validity
Human
Clinical trial
Randomization
Public health
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Public health researchers are addressing new research questions (e.g., effects of environmental tobacco smoke, Hurricane Katrina) for which the randomized controlled trial (RCT) may not be a feasible option. Drawing on the potential outcomes framework (Rubin Causal Model) and Campbellian perspectives, we consider alternative research designs that permit relatively strong causal inferences. In randomized encouragement designs, participants are randomly invited to participate in one of the treatment conditions, but are allowed to decide whether to receive treatment. In quantitative assignment designs, treatment is assigned on the basis of a quantitative measure (e.g., need, merit, risk). In observational studies, treatment assignment is unknown and presumed to be nonrandom. Major threats to the validity of each design and statistical strategies for mitigating those threats are presented.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
content type line 23
Note. The views in this article are those of the authors. No official endorsement by the US Department of Health and Human Services or the US National Institutes of Health is intended or should be inferred.
Peer Reviewed
Contributors…S. G. West participated in the initial workshop and helped develop the outline, wrote the initial draft and subsequent drafts of the article incorporating additions and edits, and wrote the final article. N. Duan participated in the initial workshop, participated in the development of the paper outline, drafted part of the article and reviewed and edited the entire article. W. Pequegnat conceptualized the initial workshop on which the article is based, co-chaired the workshop and guided development of original outline, wrote the introduction for the first draft, provided feedback on multiple drafts, and coordinated continued development of the article. P. Gaist participated in the original workshop, guided development of the original outline, provided significant input and contributions throughout the planning, writing, review, and revision stages of this article. He has served as 1 of the 2 primary coordinators responsible for overseeing each phase that has been required in the development and writing of this article. D. C. Des Jarlais chaired the initial workshop that led to the writing of the article, contributed text to various drafts, edited and approved the final draft. D. Holtgrave, J. Szapocznik, M. Fishbein, B. Rapkin, M. C. Clatts, and P.D. Mullen attended the workshop, helped conceptualize ideas, contributed text, and reviewed and edited drafts.
Requests for reprints should be sent to Stephen G. West, Psychology Department, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104 (e-mail: sgwest@asu.edu).
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2007.124446