Abstract
This chapter begins by outlining the theoretical requirements which must be fulfilled in an adequate evaluation of any medical intervention. The Randomised Control Trial (RCT) fulfils these requirements. The power of this experimental design in overcoming methodological difficulties, and its consequent value in assessing alternative clinical interventions are summarized. There are, however, important differences between the paradigms in medicine, where the RCT has been most extensively used and developed, and its use in evaluating psychiatric care. These differences are due to the nature of that which is being evaluated, and they produce both conceptual and technical problems in using the RCT design.
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© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Taylor, R., Thornicroft, G. (1996). Uses and Limits of Randomised Controlled Trials in Mental Health Service Research. In: Thornicroft, G., Tansella, M. (eds) Mental Health Outcome Measures. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80202-7_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-80202-7_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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