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Thomas E. Kottke, MD
Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn

Renaldo N. Battista, MD, ScD
McGill University Montreal

Gordon H. DeFriese, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Milo L. Brekke, PhD
University of Minnesota Minneapolis

JAMA. 1988;260(11):1552.

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

In Reply.—

We appreciate Mr O'Donnell's interest in our article. We, however, must disagree that limiting the analysis to studies with a control group "severely limits the sample size and makeup" of smoking intervention trials, since two of the largest studies ever carried out^1,2 were randomized trials. Increasing sample size can neither correct for systematic bias in a study design nor eliminate the need for a control group.

We are also uncomfortable with the implication that evaluating the effects of therapy diverts resources from treatment. Barnes³ has noted that worthless surgical procedures persist because of this same argument. We would postulate that careful evaluation actually preserves resources by eliminating the expenditure of resources on worthless or harmful therapies.

Our analysis would predict that the smoking cessation program described by Mr O'Donnell⁴ would be highly successful. The intervention included group counseling with multiple types of interventions available to . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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