BMJ  2005;330 (21 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7501.0-d

RCTs can't properly assess effectiveness of acupuncture

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) may not be the best research design to evaluate complex non-pharmacological treatments such as acupuncture, say Paterson and Dieppe on page 1202. These trials were developed to test new drugs and are based on biomedical assumptions, while disregarding elements such as talking or listening as incidental (placebo) factors. Since incidental factors cannot always be separated from the specific effects of non-pharmacological treatments such as acupuncture, they should be taken into account in evaluating the efficacy of these treatments, say the authors.

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Relevant Article

Characteristic and incidental (placebo) effects in complex interventions such as acupuncture

Charlotte Paterson and Paul Dieppe
BMJ 2005 330: 1202-1205. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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