Practical tips for surgical research: introduction to the series.

摘要

In the hierarchy of evidence, randomized controlled trials (RCT) are considered the highest-quality design for evaluating an intervention. They are most valuable when conducted with precision and the results are reported with adequate and sufficient information. Since the term "evidence-based medicine" was coined in the 1990s, there has been regular debate about the perceived deficiencies of the evidence-based practice model in surgical specialties. Until recently, trials of surgical interventions have been uncommon, and much of the surgical decision-making has been based primarily on experience gained from poorly designed and low-quality studies such as case series. Several review articles have concluded that RCTs are not commonly reported in the surgical literature and that the quality of surgical trials are inferior compared with trials of medical interventions.