Biostatistics & Research · single question
Which design feature is MOST important for evaluating a NEW DRUG in clinical trials?
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Correct answer: A. Placebo control group
A placebo control group is the essential feature of an RCT for evaluating new drugs — it separates true drug effects from placebo effects and natural disease course.
- A. CORRECT. A placebo control group is the foundation of rigorous drug trial design. It accounts for placebo response, regression to the mean, and natural disease course — essential for determining true drug efficacy.
- B. Convenience sampling introduces selection bias and weakens external validity — not a design feature for rigorous drug trials.
- C. Open-label studies are prone to bias for efficacy evaluation — useful for safety monitoring but insufficient for drug approval.
- D. Single-blind reduces but does not eliminate bias. Double-blind with placebo control is the gold standard.
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