Clinical studies remain the single most important information source of the scientific basis on which healthcare decisions are taken. This applies to population-level decisions taken by drug regulators or healthcare payers as well as individual-level decisions taken by patients and their physicians. With respect to drug treatments, adequately designed, executed, and reported randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have often been described as the “gold standard” for decision making. High expectations and ethical responsibilities are riding on publications of RCTs in peer reviewed journals.
