Tragedy of conducting a clinical trial; generic alert system needed

J Clin Epidemiol. 2008 May;61(5):415-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.06.004. Epub 2007 Oct 15.

Abstract

Stopping a clinical trial without reaching the final objective is not the ideal outcome any researcher wants; sometimes ceasing is inevitable. Due to marginal inclusion of patients we were forced to cease our randomized clinical trial on the effectiveness of proprioceptive training on the development of chronic whiplash complaints a year after the start. Although incidence figures demonstrate that recruitment of the planned number of whiplash patients would be easily feasible, we were unable to enroll the amount of subjects. Several motives can be proposed that would have prevented this obliged halting from happening. Other studies also report impracticability of the planned number of whiplash injury patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Patient Selection*
  • Physical Therapy Modalities
  • Proprioception
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / methods*
  • Research Design
  • Whiplash Injuries / rehabilitation