Clinical Research & Clinical Trials

Randomized controlled trial

A randomized controlled trial, also known as an RCT, is a type of scientific experiment (such as a clinical trial) or intervention study (in contrast to an observational study) that aims to reduce some sources of bias when testing the efficacy of new treatments. This is done by randomly assigning subjects to two or more groups, giving them different treatments, and then comparing them with respect to a measured response. The control group typically receives a different form of treatment, such as a placebo or no treatment, whereas the experimental group usually receives the intervention being evaluated To evaluate the effectiveness of the experimental intervention in contrast to the control, the groups are observed under the constraints of the trial design. There could be multiple treatment groups or multiple control groups.