Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Why Clinical Research?

  • Chapter
Principles and Practice of Research

Abstract

This chapter and the several that follow are about real clinical research: posing and answering questions about the causes, diagnosis, prognosis, and management of disease in collaboration with human subjects. Let us begin by considering why clinicians should and do devote time and energy to clinical research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Bunker UP, Barnes BA, Mosteller F. Costs, Risks and Benefits of Surgery. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Sackett DL, Haynes RB, Tugwell P. Clinical Epidemiology; A Basic Science for Clinical Medicine. Boston: Little, Brown, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Coronary Drug Project Research Group. Influence of adherence to treatment and response of cholesterol on mortality in the Coronary Drug Project. N Engl J Med 1980; 303: 1038–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Asher WL, Harper HW. Effect of human chorionic gonadotropin on weight loss, hunger, and feeling of well-being. Am J Clin Nutr 1973; 26: 211–18.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hogarty GE, Goldberg SC. Drug and sociotherapy in the aftercare of schizophrenic patients. Arch Gen Psychiatr 1973; 28: 54–64.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Fuller R, Roth H, Long S. Compliance with disulfiram treatment of alcoholism. J. Chronic Dis 1983; 36: 161–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pizzo PA, Robichaud KJ, Edwards BK, Schumaker C, Kramer BS, Johnson A. Oral antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with cancer; a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. J Pediatr 1983; 102: 125–33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Sackett DL. Rules of evidence and clinical recommendations on the use of antithrombotic agents. Chest 1986; 89 (2 Suppl): 25–35.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cobb LA, Thomas GI, Dillard DH, Merendino KA, Bruce RA. An evaluation of internal-mammaryartery ligation by a double-blind technique. N Engl J Med 1959; 260: 1115–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Schwartz D, Lellouch J. Explanatory and pragmatic attitudes in therapeutic trials. J Chronic Dis 1967; 20: 637–48.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Sackett DL, Gent M. Controversy in counting and attributing events in clinical trials. N Engl J Med 1979; 301: 1410–12.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. EC/IC Bypass Study Group. International cooperative study of extracranial/intracranial arterial anastomosis (EC/IC) bypass study; methodology and entry characteristics. Stroke 1985; 16: 397–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. EC/IC Bypass Study Group. Failure of extracranial/ intracranial arterial bypass to reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. M Engl J Med 1985; 313: 1191–1200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Oberman A, Myers AR, Karunas, TM, Epstein FH. Heart size of adults in a natural population-Tecumseh, Michigan: variation by sex, age, height, and weight. Circulation 1967; 35: 724.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Shibata H, Matsuzaki T, Shiohida K, Saito N. Study on usefulness of cardiothoracic ratio in the aged. Jpn J Geriatr 1976; 13: 406.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Yano K, Ueda S. Coronary heart disease in Hiroshima, Japan: analysis of the data at the initial examination, 1958–1960. Yale J Biol Med 1962–63; 35: 504.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Sackett DL. Bias in analytic research. J Chronic Dis 1979; 32: 51–63.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Canadian Cooperative Study Group. A randomized trial of aspirin and sulfinpyrazone in threatened stroke. N Engl J Med 1978; 299: 53–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Taylor DW, Haynes RB, Sackett DL. Stopping rules for long-term clinical trials (abstr). Controlled Clin Trials 1980; 1: 170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Toole JF, Janeway R, Choi K, et al. Transient ischemic attacks due to atherosclerosis: a prospective study of 160 patients. Arch Neurol 1975; 32: 5–12.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Heyman A, Levitan A, Millikan CH, et al. Transient focal cerebral ischemia: epidemiologic and clinical aspects. Stroke 1974; 5: 277–87.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Matsumoto N, Whisnant JP, Kurland LT, Okazaki H. Natural history of stroke in Rochester, Minnesota, 1955 through 1969. Stroke 1973; 4: 20–29.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Fields WS, Maslenikov V, Meyer JS, Hass WK, Remington RD, MacDonald M. Joint study of extra-cranial arterial occlusion. V. Progress report of prognosis following surgery or nonsurgical treatment of transient cerebral ischemic attacks and cervical carotid artery lesions. JAMA 1970; 211: 1993–2003.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Delong WB. Microsurgical revascularization for cerebrovascular insufficiency. Stroke 1976; 9: 15–20.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Halperin M, Rogot E, Gurian J, Edener F. Sample sizes for medical trials with special reference to long-term therapy. J Chronic Dis 1968; 21: 123–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Lorber J, Zachary RB: Primary congenital hydrocephalus. Long-term results of controlled therapeutic trial. Arch Dis Child 1968; 43: 516–27.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Bayston R. Antibiotic prophylaxis in shunt surgery. Dev Med Child Neurol 1975; 17 (Suppl 35): 99–103.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Haines SJ, Taylor F. Prophylactic methicillin for shunt operations: effects on incidence of shunt malfunction and infection. Child’s Brain 1982; 9: 10–22.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Wang EL, et al. Prophylactic sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. JAMA 1984; 251 (9): 1174–77.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Horowitz RI, Feinstein AR. The application of therapeutic trial principles to improve the design of epidemiologic research: a case-control study suggesting that anticoagulants reduce mortality in patients with myocardial infarction. J Chronic Dis 1981; 34: 575–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Morgan PP. Clinical trials on trial: Must we always do a randomized trial? Can Med Assoc J 1981; 125: 1309–11.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hayden GF, Kramer MS, Horwitz RI. The case-control study. A practical review for the clinician. JAMA 1982; 247 (3); 326–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Walters BC, et al. Decreased risk of infection in cerebrospinal fluid shunt surgery using prophylactic antibiotics: a case-control study. Z Kinderchir 1985; 40 (Suppl I): 15–18.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Cornfield J. A method of estimating comparative rates for clinical data. J Natl Cancer Inst 1950; 11: 1269–75.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Smith WM. Problems in long-term trials. In: Mild Hypertension: Natural History and Management, Gross F, Strasser T. eds. London: Pitman, 1979; 244–53.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. B. C. Walters
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. L. Sackett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University of Cologne, Surgical Clinic Merheim, D-5000, Cologne 91, Federal Republic of Germany

    Hans Troidl

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, H3A 1A2, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Walter O. Spitzer

  3. Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114-2696, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Bucknam McPeek

  4. Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal General Hospital, H3G 1A4, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    David S. Mulder

  5. Division of Thoracic Surgery, Toronto General Hospital, Eaton North 10-226, M5G2C4, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Martin F. McKneally

  6. Department of Surgery, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, 23298-0645, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Andrew S. Wechsler

  7. Department of General Surgery, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 77030, Houston, Texas, USA

    Charles M. Balch

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1991 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Walters, B.C., Sackett, D.L. (1991). Why Clinical Research?. In: Troidl, H., et al. Principles and Practice of Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-0371-8_24

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-0371-8_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-0373-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-0371-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation