Note: This includes articles about the practice of trials as well as articles in which the study methodology is some type of trial.
("Adaptive Clinical Trial" [PTYP:NoExp] OR "Clinical Trial" [PTYP:NoExp] OR "clinical trial, phase i"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase ii"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase iii"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase iv"[PTYP] OR "controlled clinical trial"[PTYP] OR "Equivalence Trial"[PTYP] OR "multicenter study"[PTYP] OR "pragmatic clinical trial"[PTYP] OR "randomized controlled trial"[PTYP] OR "adaptive clinical trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Clinical Studies as Topic"[mesh:noexp] OR "Clinical Trials as Topic"[mesh:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase i as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase ii as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase iii as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase iv as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "controlled clinical trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Double-Blind Method"[Mesh] OR "early termination of clinical trials"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Equivalence Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Intention to Treat Analysis"[MeSH:noexp] OR "multicenter studies as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Pragmatic Clinical Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "randomized controlled trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "2 arm"[TIAB] OR "two arm"[TIAB] OR "3 arm"[TIAB] OR "three arm"[TIAB] OR "4 arm"[TIAB] OR "four arm"[TIAB] OR "clinical studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical study"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled study"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled trials"[TIAB:~3] OR ("cross-over"[TIAB] AND "over trial"[TIAB:~3]) OR ("cross-over"[TIAB] AND "over trials"[TIAB:~3]) OR "crossover trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "crossover trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent study"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent trials"[TIAB:~3] OR intervention[TI] OR "pragmatic study"[TIAB:~3] OR "pragmatic trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "pragmatic trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised cross"[TIAB] OR "randomised crossover"[TIAB] OR "randomized cross"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized crossover"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised study"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized study"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "stepped wedge"[TIAB] OR ("window opportunity"[tiab:~1] AND trial[tiab]) OR "phase I"[TIAB] OR "phase II"[TIAB] OR "phase III"[TIAB] OR "phase IV"[TIAB] OR "phase 1"[TIAB] OR "phase 2"[TIAB] OR "phase 3"[TIAB] OR "phase 4"[TIAB] OR "single blind"[TIAB] OR "single blinded"[TIAB] OR "single mask"[TIAB] OR "single masked"[TIAB] OR "double blind"[TIAB] OR "double blinded"[TIAB] OR "double mask"[TIAB] OR "double masked"[TIAB] OR "triple blind"[TIAB] OR "triple blinded"[TIAB] OR "triple masked"[TIAB] OR "tripled blinded"[TIAB])
Note: This links comparative studies with terms related to trials.
("Adaptive Clinical Trial" [PTYP:NoExp] OR "Clinical Trial" [PTYP:NoExp] OR "clinical trial, phase i"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase ii"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase iii"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase iv"[PTYP] OR "controlled clinical trial"[PTYP] OR "Equivalence Trial"[PTYP] OR "multicenter study"[PTYP] OR "pragmatic clinical trial"[PTYP] OR "randomized controlled trial"[PTYP] OR "adaptive clinical trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Clinical Studies as Topic"[mesh:noexp] OR "Clinical Trials as Topic"[mesh:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase i as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase ii as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase iii as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase iv as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "controlled clinical trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Double-Blind Method"[Mesh] OR "early termination of clinical trials"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Equivalence Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Intention to Treat Analysis"[MeSH:noexp] OR "multicenter studies as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Pragmatic Clinical Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "randomized controlled trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "2 arm"[TIAB] OR "two arm"[TIAB] OR "3 arm"[TIAB] OR "three arm"[TIAB] OR "4 arm"[TIAB] OR "four arm"[TIAB] OR "clinical studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical study"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled study"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled trials"[TIAB:~3] OR ("cross-over"[TIAB] AND "over trial"[TIAB:~3]) OR ("cross-over"[TIAB] AND "over trials"[TIAB:~3]) OR "crossover trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "crossover trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent study"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent trials"[TIAB:~3] OR intervention[TI] OR "pragmatic study"[TIAB:~3] OR "pragmatic trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "pragmatic trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised cross"[TIAB] OR "randomised crossover"[TIAB] OR "randomized cross"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized crossover"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised study"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized study"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "stepped wedge"[TIAB] OR ("window opportunity"[tiab:~1] AND trial[tiab]) OR "phase I"[TIAB] OR "phase II"[TIAB] OR "phase III"[TIAB] OR "phase IV"[TIAB] OR "phase 1"[TIAB] OR "phase 2"[TIAB] OR "phase 3"[TIAB] OR "phase 4"[TIAB] OR "single blind"[TIAB] OR "single blinded"[TIAB] OR "single mask"[TIAB] OR "single masked"[TIAB] OR "double blind"[TIAB] OR "double blinded"[TIAB] OR "double mask"[TIAB] OR "double masked"[TIAB] OR "triple blind"[TIAB] OR "triple blinded"[TIAB] OR "triple masked"[TIAB] OR "tripled blinded"[TIAB] OR (("comparative study"[PT:NOEXP] OR comparative[TI] OR "comparative analysis"[TIAB:~2] OR "comparative outcome"[TIAB] OR "comparative outcomes"[TIAB] OR "comparative study"[TIAB:~4] OR "compared to"[TIAB] OR "compared with"[TIAB] OR comparing[TI] OR "comparison between"[TI] OR "comparison of"[TI] OR versus[ti] OR vs[ti] OR "superiority analysis"[TIAB:~2]) AND (controlled[TIAB] OR inferiority[TIAB] OR randomised[TIAB] OR randomized[TIAB] OR trial[TI] OR trials[TI])))
("Adaptive Clinical Trial" [PTYP:NoExp] OR "Clinical Trial" [PTYP:NoExp] OR "clinical trial, phase i"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase ii"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase iii"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase iv"[PTYP] OR "controlled clinical trial"[PTYP] OR "Equivalence Trial"[PTYP] OR "multicenter study"[PTYP] OR "pragmatic clinical trial"[PTYP] OR "randomized controlled trial"[PTYP] OR "adaptive clinical trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Clinical Studies as Topic"[mesh:noexp] OR "Clinical Trials as Topic"[mesh:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase i as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase ii as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase iii as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase iv as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "controlled clinical trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Double-Blind Method"[Mesh] OR "early termination of clinical trials"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Equivalence Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Intention to Treat Analysis"[MeSH:noexp] OR "multicenter studies as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Pragmatic Clinical Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "randomized controlled trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "2 arm"[TIAB] OR "two arm"[TIAB] OR "3 arm"[TIAB] OR "three arm"[TIAB] OR "4 arm"[TIAB] OR "four arm"[TIAB] OR "clinical studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical study"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled study"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled trials"[TIAB:~3] OR ("cross-over"[TIAB] AND "over trial"[TIAB:~3]) OR ("cross-over"[TIAB] AND "over trials"[TIAB:~3]) OR "crossover trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "crossover trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent study"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent trials"[TIAB:~3] OR intervention[TI] OR "pragmatic study"[TIAB:~3] OR "pragmatic trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "pragmatic trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised cross"[TIAB] OR "randomised crossover"[TIAB] OR "randomized cross"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized crossover"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised study"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized study"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "stepped wedge"[TIAB] OR ("window opportunity"[tiab:~1] AND trial[tiab]) OR "phase I"[TIAB] OR "phase II"[TIAB] OR "phase III"[TIAB] OR "phase IV"[TIAB] OR "phase 1"[TIAB] OR "phase 2"[TIAB] OR "phase 3"[TIAB] OR "phase 4"[TIAB] OR "single blind"[TIAB] OR "single blinded"[TIAB] OR "single mask"[TIAB] OR "single masked"[TIAB] OR "double blind"[TIAB] OR "double blinded"[TIAB] OR "double mask"[TIAB] OR "double masked"[TIAB] OR "triple blind"[TIAB] OR "triple blinded"[TIAB] OR "triple masked"[TIAB] OR "tripled blinded"[TIAB]) NOT ((animals[mesh] OR plants[mesh]) NOT humans[mesh])
("Adaptive Clinical Trial" [PTYP:NoExp] OR "Clinical Trial" [PTYP:NoExp] OR "clinical trial, phase i"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase ii"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase iii"[PTYP] OR "clinical trial, phase iv"[PTYP] OR "controlled clinical trial"[PTYP] OR "Equivalence Trial"[PTYP] OR "multicenter study"[PTYP] OR "pragmatic clinical trial"[PTYP] OR "randomized controlled trial"[PTYP] OR "adaptive clinical trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Clinical Studies as Topic"[mesh:noexp] OR "Clinical Trials as Topic"[mesh:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase i as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase ii as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase iii as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "clinical trials, phase iv as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "controlled clinical trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Double-Blind Method"[Mesh] OR "early termination of clinical trials"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Equivalence Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Intention to Treat Analysis"[MeSH:noexp] OR "multicenter studies as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Pragmatic Clinical Trials as Topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "randomized controlled trials as topic"[MeSH:noexp] OR "2 arm"[TIAB] OR "two arm"[TIAB] OR "3 arm"[TIAB] OR "three arm"[TIAB] OR "4 arm"[TIAB] OR "four arm"[TIAB] OR "clinical studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical study"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "clinical trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled study"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "controlled trials"[TIAB:~3] OR ("cross-over"[TIAB] AND "over trial"[TIAB:~3]) OR ("cross-over"[TIAB] AND "over trials"[TIAB:~3]) OR "crossover trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "crossover trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent study"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "equivalent trials"[TIAB:~3] OR intervention[TI] OR "pragmatic study"[TIAB:~3] OR "pragmatic trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "pragmatic trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised cross"[TIAB] OR "randomised crossover"[TIAB] OR "randomized cross"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized crossover"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised study"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomised trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized studies"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized study"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized trial"[TIAB:~3] OR "randomized trials"[TIAB:~3] OR "stepped wedge"[TIAB] OR ("window opportunity"[tiab:~1] AND trial[tiab]) OR "phase I"[TIAB] OR "phase II"[TIAB] OR "phase III"[TIAB] OR "phase IV"[TIAB] OR "phase 1"[TIAB] OR "phase 2"[TIAB] OR "phase 3"[TIAB] OR "phase 4"[TIAB] OR "single blind"[TIAB] OR "single blinded"[TIAB] OR "single mask"[TIAB] OR "single masked"[TIAB] OR "double blind"[TIAB] OR "double blinded"[TIAB] OR "double mask"[TIAB] OR "double masked"[TIAB] OR "triple blind"[TIAB] OR "triple blinded"[TIAB] OR "triple masked"[TIAB] OR "tripled blinded"[TIAB] OR (("comparative study"[PT:NOEXP] OR comparative[TI] OR "comparative analysis"[TIAB:~2] OR "comparative outcome"[TIAB] OR "comparative outcomes"[TIAB] OR "comparative study"[TIAB:~4] OR "compared to"[TIAB] OR "compared with"[TIAB] OR comparing[TI] OR "comparison between"[TI] OR "comparison of"[TI] OR vs[ti] OR "superiority analysis"[TIAB:~2]) AND (controlled[TIAB] OR inferiority[TIAB] OR randomised[TIAB] OR randomized[TIAB] OR trial[TI] OR trials[TI]))) NOT ((animals[mesh] OR plants[mesh]) NOT humans[mesh])
To guide vocabulary development, I used the following article:
"Controlled Before-After Studies"[Mesh:NoExp] OR "Interrupted Time Series Analysis"[Mesh:NoExp] OR (("before after"[TIAB:~2] AND intervention[TIAB])) OR "interrupted time"[TIAB] OR "non randomised"[TIAB:~1] OR "non randomized"[TIAB:~1] OR nonequivalent[TIAB] OR nonrandomised[TIAB] OR nonrandomized[TIAB] OR ("one group"[TIAB] AND ("post test"[TIAB] OR "pre test"[TIAB] OR pretest[TIAB] OR posttest[TIAB])) OR ((pretest[TIAB] OR ("pre intervention"[TIAB:~4] OR "pre posttest"[TIAB:~4] OR "pre test"[TIAB:~4])) AND (posttest[TIAB] OR "post intervention"[TIAB:~4] OR "post test"[TIAB:~4])) OR "pretest posttest"[TIAB:~4] OR quasiexperimental[TIAB] OR "quasi experimental"[TIAB:~1] OR ("single group"[TIAB:~1] AND "group study"[TIAB:~1]) OR "uncontrolled studies"[TIAB:~1] OR "uncontrolled study"[TIAB:~1]
NLM scope note:
One could argue that clinical trials, by definition, are comparative studies, even if the comparison is against a placebo or sham, so figuring out the right terms is complicated. Consider this a high-yield start to a search filter with probably a somewhat lower sensitivity (we're guessing ~80%) and higher specificity. Also note that comparative studies can be experimental or not.
There are currently 2 versions as we continue testing:
("comparative study"[PT:NOEXP] OR comparative[TI] OR "comparative analysis"[TIAB:~2] OR "comparative outcome"[TIAB] OR "comparative outcomes"[TIAB] OR "comparative study"[TIAB:~4] OR "compared to"[TIAB] OR "compared with"[TIAB] OR comparing[TI] OR "comparison between"[TI] OR "comparison of"[TI] OR vs[ti] OR "superiority analysis"[TIAB:~2]) AND (randomised[TIAB] OR randomized[TIAB] OR trial[TI] OR trials[TI])
("comparative study"[PT:NOEXP] OR comparative[TI] OR "comparative analysis"[TIAB:~2] OR "comparative outcome"[TIAB] OR "comparative outcomes"[TIAB] OR "comparative study"[TIAB:~4] OR "compared to"[TIAB] OR "compared with"[TIAB] OR comparing[TI] OR "comparison between"[TI] OR "comparison of"[TI] OR versus[ti] OR vs[ti] OR "superiority analysis"[TIAB:~2])
Use the trials filter for experimental studies.
(evaluation study[PT:NOEXP] OR "evaluation studies as topic"[MESH:NOEXP] OR "program evaluation"[MESH:NOEXP] OR "reproducibility of results"[MESH:NOEXP] OR validation study[PT:NOEXP] OR "validation studies as topic"[MESH:NOEXP] OR "pre post"[TIAB:~5] OR "pretest posttest"[TIAB:~5] OR ("intervention effectiveness"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention evaluate"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention evaluated"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention evaluates"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention evaluating"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention evaluation"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention evaluations"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention evaluator"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention evaluators"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention reliability"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention reproducibility"[TIAB:~4] OR "intervention validity"[TIAB:~4] OR ("before after"[TIAB:~2] AND intervention[tiab]) OR "program effectiveness"[TIAB:~4] OR "program evaluate"[TIAB:~4] OR "program evaluated"[TIAB:~4] OR "program evaluates"[TIAB:~4] OR "program evaluating"[TIAB:~4] OR "program evaluation"[TIAB:~4] OR "program evaluations"[TIAB:~4] OR "program evaluator"[TIAB:~4] OR "program evaluators"[TIAB:~4] OR "program reliability"[TIAB:~4] OR "program reproducibility"[TIAB:~4] OR "program validity"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs effectiveness"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs evaluate"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs evaluated"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs evaluates"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs evaluating"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs evaluation"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs evaluations"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs evaluator"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs evaluators"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs reliability"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs reproducibility"[TIAB:~4] OR "programs validity"[TIAB:~4] OR ("quasi experimental"[TIAB] AND ("experimental effectiveness"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental evaluate"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental evaluated"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental evaluates"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental evaluating"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental evaluation"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental evaluations"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental evaluator"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental evaluators"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental reliability"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental reproducibility"[TIAB:~4] OR "experimental validity"[TIAB:~4]))))
QI studies are hard to categorize as some will be randomized trials, some are pre-post studies, and some are continuous improvement projects. The article below describes the life cycle of a QI project.
(("Quality Improvement"[Mesh] OR "implementation research"[TIAB] OR "improve quality"[TIAB] OR "improving quality"[TIAB] OR "knowledge translation"[TIAB] OR "lean methodology"[TIAB:~2] OR "lean principles"[TIAB:~2] OR "lean tools"[TIAB:~2] OR "pay for performance"[TIAB] OR "performance improvement"[TIAB] OR "quality assurance"[TIAB] OR "quality improvement"[TIAB] OR "quality improvements"[TIAB] OR "quality indicator"[TIAB] OR "quality indicators"[TIAB] OR "quality measure"[TIAB] OR "quality measures"[TIAB] OR "quality metric"[TIAB] OR "quality metrics"[TIAB] OR ("rapid cycle"[TIAB:~0] AND ("cycle change"[TIAB:~0] OR "cycle changes"[TIAB:~0])) OR "report card"[TIAB] OR "right care"[TIAB] OR "six sigma"[TIAB] OR ("six sigma"[TIAB:~1] AND quality[tiab]) OR squire[TIAB]))