Randomization: Linking Evidence to Practice

Clinicians might think researchers are obsessed with randomized controlled trials (RCTs). But why is that? Randomization enables us to make some specific conclusions that are not possible in other study designs. This is not to say that any study that is randomized automatically gives us the correct answer to the question; there are other aspects of study quality that need to be considered. One of these is sample size: the advantages of randomization only really hold true if there are enough people in the study. However, it's probably not too much to say that randomization is the most important study design feature for treatment-comparison studies. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(9):730-731. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.0704.