biostudies-literaturePessoa-Amorim GHealth Data Research UKMedical Research CouncilNIHR Oxford Biomedical Research CentreForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeNational Institute for Health and Care ResearchBill and Melinda Gates FoundationOxford BHF Centre of Research ExcellenceMedical Research Council Population Health Research UnitWellcome TrustUK Research and InnovationMRC Network of Hubs for Trials Methodology ResearchNational Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases429https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11218071biostudies-literatureUnknown25(1)<h4>Background</h4>Randomised trials are essential to reliably assess medical interventions. Nevertheless, interpretation of such studies, particularly when considering absolute effects, is enhanced by understanding how the trial population may differ from the populations it aims to represent.<h4>Methods</h4>We compared baseline characteristics and mortality of RECOVERY participants recruited in England (n = 38,510) with a reference population hospitalised with COVID-19 in England (n = 346,271) from March 2020 to November 2021. We used linked hospitalisation and mortality data for both cohorts to extract demographics, comorbidity/frailty scores, and crude and age- and sex-adjusted 28-day all-cause mortality.<h4>Results</h4>Demographics of RECOVERY participants were broadly similar to the rTrialsClinical trial results in context: comparison of baseline characteristics and outcomes of 38,510 RECOVERY trial participants versus a reference population of 346,271 people hospitalised with COVID-19 in England.PMC11218071RE/18/3/34214MC_PC_19056HDR-23012MR/L004933/2222406/Z/20/ZGoldacre RStevens WMafham MHaynes RMorris EJAWallendszus KNunn MCampbell MHorby PKing ARees ACrichton CMurray DPinches HHarper CPessoa-Amorim GPeto LWelsh RLandray MJfalseClinical trial results in context: comparison of baseline characteristics and outcomes of 38,510 RECOVERY trial participants versus a reference population of 346,271 people hospitalised with COVID-19 in England.<h4>Background</h4>Randomised trials are essential to reliably assess medical interventions. Nevertheless, interpretation of such studies, particularly when considering absolute effects, is enhanced by understanding how the trial population may differ from the populations it aims to represent.<h4>Methods</h4>We compared baseline characteristics and mortality of RECOVERY participants recruited in England (n = 38,510) with a reference population hospitalised with COVID-19 in England (n = 346,271) from March 2020 to November 2021. We used linked hospitalisation and mortality data for both cohorts to extract demographics, comorbidity/frailty scores, and crude and age- and sex-adjusted 28-day all-cause mortality.<h4>Results</h4>Demographics of RECOVERY participants were broadly similar to the r2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Jun2026-07-15T10:00:09.902Z2025-04-04T12:21:08.545ZS-EPMC112180713895192910.1186/s13063-024-08273-9