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Mike Mitka

JAMA. 2005;294:2290-2291.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

As the Internet moves into the mainstream of daily living, the global information system also appears poised to become a vital tool of clinical research.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, recently published what they call the first rigorous randomized placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial conducted entirely via the Internet (Jacobs et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2005;84:197-207). The study found that herbal extracts of kava and valerian, dietary supplements used in the self-management of anxiety and insomnia, respectively, did no better than placebo.

Some researchers say using the Internet as a tool to conduct clinical trials can help expand the eligible population of participants, ease enrollment bottlenecks, and reduce time and cost.

Bradly P. Jacobs, MD, lead author and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the university, said methodological limitations of previous research regarding dietary supplements led the researchers to consider using the Internet to conduct trials.

. . . [Full Text of this Article]

IMPROVED RANDOMIZATION



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