Advantages and Disadvantages in Clinical Trials

Abstract

Describing the strengths and limitations of clinical trials in a chapter of this book is difficult because of the complexity of the issues, the large number of relevant publications and the accelerating rate of new developments in the field. For these reasons, this chapter is somewhat eclectic in including important items especially those pertaining to current developments. Making clinical decisions on individual patients after consideration of all strengths and limitations of clinical trials is difficult. As Hippocrates stated in the Aphorisms, Life is short, and art long, opportunity fleeting, experience misleading, and judgment difficult. Ὁ βίος βραχύς, ἡ δὲ τέχνη μακρή, ὁ δὲ καιρὸς ὀξύς, ἡ δὲ πεῖρα σφαλερή, ἡ δὲ κρίσις χαλεπή. Clinical trials are essential in establishing the efficacy of pharmacologic and other interventions, but it may be difficult to make decisions on individual patients since the trials include large numbers of participants.