EBM Resources: NIHR Clinical Trials Toolkit
Posted on 29th April 2013 by Henry Greenslade
NIHR Clinical Trials Toolkit [1] – what is it?
This is a “roadmap” designed by the National Institute for Health Research (UK), describing the necessary steps a researcher should take before, during and after a clinical Randomised Controlled Trial, which includes the legal aspects of research.
Who is it aimed at?
This seems primarily aimed at academics and researchers directly involved in designing clinical trials. It might be a good resource if you are currently involved in research, or interested in it, and want to know a bit more about the behind-the-scenes stuff in research, I always assumed the majority of research was just that – lab work etc. but of course there are lots of ethical considerations and publishing of results that has to take place, which can take just as long if not longer than the trial itself.
Time taken
Hard to tell, I imagine if you were a researcher there would many hours spent pouring over this sort of thing but as a student it’s probably dependent on what you’re interested in.
Student opinion
Bit of a tough one to review as I feel students aren’t the target audience. If you are conducting research or interested in factors outside of the trial itself that can affect the evidence, this is a good official source, which describes in a fair bit of depth the background to trials. Good for a thorough understanding but I wouldn’t say crucial to understanding EBM or what makes a good trial!
2/5 (for students)
Link
http://www.ct-toolkit.ac.uk/ [1]
[1] Clinical Trials Toolkit [Internet]. National Institute for Health Research, NETSCC; 2013 [cited 29 April 2013]. Available from: http://www.ct-toolkit.ac.uk/
