The models for randomization are built based on physical objects coming out of the same factory process. For example, if a machine follows the same mechanical process to create 1 million pennies, you can toss each of those pennies 100 times and expect the head to tail ratio to be nearly equal in all trials.
In case of humans, the number of variables is so large that we simply use the variables that make us feel good. How do we know that the proper randomization variables are races, sexes, age and so on? I may as well argue the real variable affecting the variation of health is the profile of the gut microbiome, and maybe that gut microbiome changes on the brand of the bread these people eat.
In general I find RCTs to be marketing devices used by drug companies (cartels) to downplay people's real life experiences. ("Oh, you have headache after taking my medicine? That is from stress or fear of injection, because our RCT participants had no headache.") Also, they are used by the same companies as legal shields. As far as scientific evidence goes, RCTs prove nothing.
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branchandroot
Randomized clinical trial
Date: 2025-04-15 03:04 pm (UTC)The models for randomization are built based on physical objects coming out of the same factory process. For example, if a machine follows the same mechanical process to create 1 million pennies, you can toss each of those pennies 100 times and expect the head to tail ratio to be nearly equal in all trials.
In case of humans, the number of variables is so large that we simply use the variables that make us feel good. How do we know that the proper randomization variables are races, sexes, age and so on? I may as well argue the real variable affecting the variation of health is the profile of the gut microbiome, and maybe that gut microbiome changes on the brand of the bread these people eat.
In general I find RCTs to be marketing devices used by drug companies (cartels) to downplay people's real life experiences. ("Oh, you have headache after taking my medicine? That is from stress or fear of injection, because our RCT participants had no headache.") Also, they are used by the same companies as legal shields. As far as scientific evidence goes, RCTs prove nothing.