Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System
Published on: December 11, 2016
Randomization by group in studying the effect of drug information in primary care
V K Diwan1, B Eriksson, G Sterky
1Department of International Health Care Research (IHCAR), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract:
Drug information is a technology which is rarely evaluated. Practical and ethical considerations limit the use of a classical experimental method (a randomized controlled trial) in studying the effect of drug information in primary care. An alternative approach, randomization by group, is preferable for several reasons: it avoids contamination of the control group; the effect of information can be evaluated in the natural working environment; and the impact of information is increased via diffusion. This article describes the selection of a control group, the Hawthorne effect and 'blindness' in information experiments. Sample size tables and power calculations are presented when randomization by group is used. The study power is influenced by the number of health centres and the variance between them. The number of doctors per health centre plays a less important role, and the number of patients is relatively unimportant. There is also a need to use qualitative methods to prepare information and to understand factors influencing change of behaviour among prescribers.
More Related Videos
04:53A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition
Published on: September 20, 2019
06:28E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Randomized Experiments
Simple randomization
Simple...
Blinding
Analysis of Population Pharmacokinetic Data
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Dosage Regimens: Designs and Approaches
Dosage Regimen: Individualization