Clinical trials in stone disease

Abstract

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the most reliable form of scientific evidence in medicine because they eliminate bias and spurious causality. Correctly performing RCTs require some well-defined rules. In kidney stone disease a relatively small number of clinical trials have been performed. In this chapter, the main principles to plan and implement nephrolithiasis clinical trials are focused. The best way to select study population, to randomize, to perform study design, and to assess adherence and outcomes is discussed. Finally, practical examples and a brief literature review should be useful for the reader to work out a critical point of view about this field. © 2011 Springer-Verlag London Limited.