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Previous Volume 341:691-693 August 26, 1999 Number 9 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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An apparent ethical dilemma arises when physicians consider enrolling their patients in randomized clinical trials. Suppose that a randomized clinical trial comparing two treatments is in progress, and a physician has an opinion about which treatment is better. The physician has a duty to promote the patient's best medical interests and therefore seems to be obliged to advise the patient to receive the treatment that the physician prefers. This duty creates a barrier to the enrollment of patients in randomized clinical trials.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10} Two strategies are often used to resolve the dilemma in favor of enrolling patients in clinical trials.

The "Either You Know Which is Better or You Don't" Strategy

According . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Adopting a Less Strict Therapeutic Obligation

A Resolution

References

Related Letters:

Ethics of Clinical Trials
Butow P. N., M.Litt.(Psych.) R. F. B., Tattersall M. H.N., Strandness D.E., Morris D., Rosenzweig S., Duggan A., Marquis D.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 2000; 342:978-980, Mar 30, 2000. Correspondence

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