Controlled Studies in Measuring the Efficacy of Medical Care: A Historical Perspective

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Abstract
There are three phenomena unique to medical research. First, unlike most historic events and their time- and culture-specific relationships, determination of the efficacy of medical care cuts across national and cultural boundaries in the Western world. Second, most of the study methods currently used to determine whether a specific medical intervention works have a long tradition, usually stretching back over centuries. Third, it is difficult to predict whether, and how readily, research results will be incorporated into medical practice.