Speakers
Ahmed Al-Jaishi, PhD (candidate)
Health Research Methodology
McMaster University
Amit Garg, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Medicine
Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Western University, London, Canada
Senior Core Scientist, Site Director, and Program Lead
ICES Western Kidney Dialysis & Transplantation Research Program, London, Canada
Nephrologist, London Health Sciences Centre
Victoria Hospital, London, Canada
Merrick Zwarenstein, MBBCh, MSc, PhD
Professor, Department of Family Medicine
Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Western University, London, Canada
Senior Core Scientist
ICES Western Primary Care & Health Systems Research Program, London, Canada
Topic
Pragmatic and Explanatory Attitudes to RCTs: Using the PRECIS-2 Tool to Describe the Design of the MyTEMP Trial
Keywords
Pragmatic trials; PRECIS-2; Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Study design; External validity
Key Points
- Randomized controlled trial (RCT) intentions (attitudes) can be described as: pragmatic intentions provide evidence for decision-makers to choose between interventions, whereas explanatory intentions test a hypothesis about a mechanism.
- Pragmatic and explanatory trials are not a dichotomy; a good trial design matches the intention of the trial.
- Trials can be designed with both internal validity and external validity.
- Different trial intentions, design choices, conclusions, and recommendations lead to different usefulness for decision-making.
Discussion Themes
Can you comment on the retrospective use of PRECIS-2 to dichotomize trials as pragmatic or explanatory?
What suggestions do you have to improve the labeling of trials as explanatory versus pragmatic, since both types are randomized controlled trials (RCTs)?
Read more about the PRECIS-2 tool and the CONSORT statement for pragmatic trials.
Tags
#pctGR, @Collaboratory1