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
Materials From Annual Steering Committee Meeting Now Available
On April 13-14, 2026, the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory hosted its annual steering committee meeting in Bethesda, Maryland. Presenters addressed challenges and shared lessons from new, in-progress, and completed NIH Collaboratory Trials to promote meaningful evidence generation.
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 May 29, 2026: Mobile Telemedicine for Treating Chronic Hepatitis C Among Rural People Who Inject Drugs: A Randomized Clinical Trial (Thomas J. Stopka, PhD, MHS)
May 29 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pmGrand 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
- May 27, 2026: Mobile Telemedicine for Treating Chronic Hepatitis C, in This Week’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand RoundsIn this Friday’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds, Thomas J. Stopka of the Tufts University School of Medicine will present “Mobile Telemedicine for Treating Chronic Hepatitis C Among Rural People ...
- May 26, 2026: Continuing Education Units Now Available for Learning Path on Pragmatic Trial DesignThe NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory is excited to announce the availability of AMA PRA Category .75 Credit™ and JA credit AH for the Pragmatic Clinical Trials Study Design learning pathway ...
- May 21, 2026: New Podcast Episode Provides an Editor’s Perspective on the Role of AI in Scientific PublishingIn a new episode of the Rethinking Clinical Trials Podcast, Roy Perlis of Harvard Medical School and JAMA+ AI expanded on key takeaways from his recent Grand Rounds presentation, “Keeping ...