Rules of evidence in assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of treatments

A brief review of the "rules" of evidence in assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of treatments leads to a discussion of what the future might hold in the development of the rules of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in order to enhance the impact of such studies. The primary requisite for enhancing the impact of studies appears to be discussions and interactions among researchers, clinicians, policy makers, and patient advocates, on the one hand, and among the basic scientists and clinical researchers, on the other.