One of the signature characteristics of a clinical trial is the use of a contemporaneous control group. The evaluation of a new treatment without a rational comparison group is extremely vulnerable to error. Historical and anecdotal accounts illustrate how the use of control groups became popular in clinical research. Had early physicians only used a control group they would have discovered the futility of blood letting when it came to treating all sorts of diseases. The text highlights the challenging issues involved in the choice of a comparison group for the experimental treatment. Should a researcher use placebos or active drugs? Or if neither is possible, would historical controls or untreated subjects be appropriate? Possible explanations for the placebo effect are also offered.
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Chapter 7 — The Control Groups
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(2009). The Control Group – Leveling the Playing Field. In: It's Great! Oops, No It Isn't. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8907-7_7
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