Introduction to Evidence-Based Medicine

William J. Powers, M.D.-- Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Radiology
Washington University School of Medicine -- Presented July 11, 2006

 N of 1 (Single Patient) Randomized Clinical Trial
 

            N of 1 RCTs can provide definitive evidence of treatment
            effectiveness in individual patients.

            N of 1 RCTs are suitable for chronic, stable or very slowly
            progressive conditions (e.g. epilepsy, migraine).
            
            They are unsuitable for:

Ø                • short-term problems

Ø                • therapies that cure

Ø                • therapies that act over long periods of time or prevent rare or
                   unique events (such as stroke, myocardial infarction, or death)

 
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References
Guyatt GH, Haynes RB, Jaeschke RZ, et al.  Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: XXV. Evidence-based medicine: principles for applying the Users' Guides to patient care. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group.
JAMA. 2000 Sep 13;284(10):1290-6.

 

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