Patient Preferences for Treatments Can Affect Outcomes of Randomized Trials

Patients who received their preferred treatments had significantly greater improvements than did those who received their nonpreferred treatments or were indifferent.

The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the best study design for evaluating treatments. However, when participants are aware of their treatment allocations (e.g., an RCT in which yoga is compared with a self-help book for back pain) and receive or don’t receive their preferred treatments, are trial outcomes affected? In this systematic review and meta-analysis, investigators determined the effect of patient preferences on RCT outcomes.

Eleven nonblinded RCTs were identified in which participants were asked about treatment preferences before they were randomized (without consideration of their preferences). The percentage of patients with treatment preferences ranged from 16% to 85% (median, 56%). Data from eight RCTs (1594 patients) of mus…

Reviewing Author

Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose