University of Western Australia: Bias Minimisation, randomisation and blinding

Format: 2-18 Don’t confuse “no evidence” with “no effect”

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Language/s: 3-5 How certain is the evidence?

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Resource Link: View the Text
Short Description:

University of Western Australia’s explanation of why random allocation to comparison groups and blinding (if possible) are important.

Key Concepts addressed:

• Greek
• 1-1 Treatments can harm
• 1-11 Explanations about how treatments work can be wrong
• 1-8 More is not necessarily better
• 1-4 Common practice is not always evidence-based
• 2-12 Subgroup analyses may be misleading

Details

Bias minimisation; Study Methodology

• Randomisation eliminates investigator bias in allocating patients to different treatment arms.
• Blinding can avoid bias due to patient or observer knowledge of treatment allocation. Blinding can be through use of placebo or sham treatment. In a single blind study, only the patient or observer is unaware of the treatment allocation.

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