Outcomes of patients who participate in randomised controlled trials compared to similar patients receiving similar interventions who do not participate

Malignant Melanoma S3‐Guideline “Diagnosis, Therapy and Follow‐up of Melanoma”

“…Clinical trials involve significant funding and require the informed consent from patients and frequently, the involvement of a number of centres and health professionals to obtain an appropriate number of subjects to ensure sound statistical power [714,715].…”

“…A recent Cochrane Review [715] assessed the effect of participation in RCTs (trial effects) independent both of the effects of the clinical treatments being compared (treatment effects) and any differences between patients who participated in RCTs and those who did not. The outcome of this review led its authors to conclude that there is no greater risk from participating in RCTs than there is from being treated outside an RCT.…”

Systematic review: open, small‐incision or laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholecystolithiasis

“…There is empirical evidence that participation in randomized trials does not lead to worse outcomes and that results are applicable to usual practice. 55 However, one could argue that through a more careful follow-up, outcomes are better recorded leading to more objective results. Another issue in applicability relates to generalizability.…”

Advancing evidence in preterm neonatal medicine

“…Seventy-nine percent of parents who have enrolled their newborn in a RCT report that they are happy they did so [Stenson et al, 2004]. Parents feel their child will get equal or better care if enrolled in a study than if not enrolled [Morley et al, 2005], and research has shown that they are right [Vist et al, 2007]. Altruism is a major motivation for most parents; they hope to improve the lives of children in the future [Morley et al, 2005;Maayan-Metzger et al, 2008].…”