Generalizability of findings from randomized controlled trials: application to the National Institute of Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

To compare randomized controlled trial (RCT) sample treatment effects with the population effects of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.

Design

Statistical weighting was used to re-compute the effects from 10 RCTs such that the participants in the trials had characteristics that resembled those of patients in the target populations.

Settings

Multi-site RCTs and usual SUD treatment settings in the United States.

Participants

A total of 3592 patients in 10 RCTs and 1 602 226 patients from usual SUD treatment settings between 2001 and 2009.

Measurements

Three outcomes of SUD treatment were examined: retention, urine toxicology and abstinence. We weighted the RCT sample treatment effects using propensity scores representing the conditional probabili

SUBMITTER: Susukida R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5461185 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature