The role of quasi-experimental designs in pain research

Abstract

In summary, randomized clinical trials remain an essential component of the research plan for establishing the validity of a new therapy for pain. Nevertheless, sophisticated before-after designs, with reliable measures and adequately long baseline (and posttreatment) observation periods, can control for natural history and recall biases fairly well. In settings where placebo effects are not considered a major determinant of improvement, these designs provide a considerably more powerful alternative to simpler pre-post designs in the early stages of validating a therapy and should become the gold standard for preliminary research where they are practical and clinically appropriate. © American Academy of Pain Medicine.