Rethinking Clinical Trials: A Living Textbook of Pragmatic Clinical Trials
Welcome to the Living Textbook of pragmatic clinical trials, a collection of knowledge from the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory. Pragmatic clinical trials present an opportunity to efficiently generate high-quality evidence to inform medical decision-making. However, these trials pose different challenges than traditional clinical trials. The Living Textbook reflects a collection of special considerations and best practices in the design, conduct, and reporting of pragmatic clinical trials.
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What is the
NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory?
What is a
pragmatic clinical trial?
Training Resources
Featured
Continuing Education Units Now Available for Learning Path on Pragmatic Trial Design
Researchers who complete the Pragmatic Clinical Trials Study Design learning pathway will earn AMA PRA Category .75 Credit™ or JA credit AH. Self-paced modules include videos, reference materials, and knowledge checkpoints. The path is free and requires 1 hour to complete.
New Podcast Episode Provides an Editor’s Perspective on the Role of AI in Scientific Publishing
In a new episode of the NIH Collaboratory Podcast, Roy Perlis of Harvard Medical School and JAMA+ AI discusses the impact of AI on the scientific publishing industry as well as the opportunities and risks that lie ahead.
Subscribe for free on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, or SoundCloud.
NIH COLLABORATORY TRIALS
Pragmatic clinical trials that address questions of major public health importance and provide proof of concept for innovative pragmatic research designs.
CORES
Working groups that support the conduct of NIH Collaboratory Trials and generate guidance addressing implementation challenges.
DISTRIBUTED RESEARCH NETWORK
Network enabling investigators to collaborate in the use of electronic health data while safeguarding protected health information.
Upcoming Learning Opportunities
Grand Rounds June 5, 2026: Bringing Context and Clarity to Clinical Trial Research for Clinician and Public Health Audiences: JAMA+ Trials (Alison Huang, MD, MAS; Derek Angus, MD, MPH)
June 5 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pmGrand Rounds June 12, 2026: The REVIVE-TOGETHER Trial: Findings From an Evaluation of Fluvoxamine and Metformin for Fatigue in Patients With Long COVID (Jamie Forrest, PhD, MPH)
June 12 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pmGrand Rounds June 26, 2026: Precision Engagement to Improve Population Health (Phillip D. Levy, MD, MPH)
June 26 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
NEWS
- June 4, 2026: Feasibility Assessment in Pragmatic Trials: An Interview With Angelo Volandes and Sebastian TongThe planning phase of a pragmatic clinical trial is a critical time when research teams can hone their research questions, build relationships with healthcare system and community partners, and test ...
- June 3, 2026: Bringing Context and Clarity to Clinical Trial Research, in This Week’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand RoundsIn this Friday’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds, Alison Huang and Derek Angus will present “Bringing Context and Clarity to Clinical Trial Research for Clinician and Public Health Audiences: JAMA+ ...
- June 2, 2026: Highlights From the FM-TIPS Trial: An Interview With Kathleen SlukaFM-TIPS, an NIH Collaboratory Trial, examined whether the addition of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to routine outpatient physical therapy improves pain compared with physical therapy alone among patients with ...