Thomas A. Ban: Seminar on clinical methodology
Critical appraisal of Scientific Literature
Educational Series Number 19

 Barry Blackwell’s comment

This is a very succinct and useful summary for residents but it needs to be accompanied by information on the shortcomings of double blind controlled trials, the value of effectiveness studies (CATIE) as an example and the manner in which pharmaceutical companies have manipulated the system by concealing negative trial results, avoiding comparisons with generic compounds, shunning effectiveness studies and down-playing serious and relatively late discovered side effects that might have been predicted by thorough preclinical work and better knowledge of the often times multiple sites and mechanisms of action of compounds (MAOIs and NSAIDS).

Barry Blackwell

June 30, 2016