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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NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory?
What is a
pragmatic clinical trial?
Training Resources
Featured
Registration Open for Pragmatic Trials Workshop at 47th Annual SCT Meeting
On May 17, 2026, the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory will host a half-day workshop entitled "Innovations in Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials." It will take place ahead of the 47th Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Trials and will introduce concepts in the design, conduct, and implementation of PCTs embedded in healthcare systems.
Don't Miss All-New Episodes of the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory Podcast
The NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory Podcast broadcasts engaging discussions on timely issues in the field of pragmatic clinical trials. Tune in monthly for fresh insights from Grand Rounds speakers, representatives from NIH Collaboratory Trials, and thought leaders within the NIH Collaboratory and broader research community.
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 1, 2026: Adapting and Implementing a Nurse Care Management Model to Care for Rural Patients With Chronic Pain: Results and Lessons Learned From the Feasibility Phase (Sebastian Tong, MD, MPH; Kushang Patel, PhD, MPH)
May 1 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pmGrand Rounds May 8, 2026: Prevention of Urinary Stones With Hydration: A Randomized Adherence Trial (Charles Scales, MD, MSHS)
May 8 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
NEWS
- April 29, 2026: NIH Offers Workshop to Train Researchers on Using ClinicalTrials.gov Results DatabaseThe National Library of Medicine is offering a ClinicalTrials.gov Results Database Train-the-Trainer Workshop to provide training to key personnel involved in submitting study results to ClinicalTrials.gov for their organizations. The in-person ...
- April 29, 2026: Results and Lessons Learned From the Feasibility Phase of AIM-CP, in This Week’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand RoundsIn this Friday’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds, Sebastian Tong and Kushang Patel will present “Adapting and Implementing a Nurse Care Management Model to Care for Rural Patients With Chronic ...
- April 23, 2026: NIH to Host Workshop on Combining RCT and Real-World Data for Studying Infant Postnatal HIV ProphylaxisThe National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Division of AIDS (DAIDS), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Institute ...