Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Apr 3;11(2):e9.
doi: 10.2196/jmir.1052.

Methodological challenges in online trials

Elizabeth Murray  1 , Zarnie Khadjesari, Ian R White, Eleftheria Kalaitzaki, Christine Godfrey, Jim McCambridge, Simon G Thompson, Paul Wallace
Affiliations

Methodological challenges in online trials

Elizabeth Murray et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Health care and health care services are increasingly being delivered over the Internet. There is a strong argument that interventions delivered online should also be evaluated online to maximize the trial's external validity. Conducting a trial online can help reduce research costs and improve some aspects of internal validity. To date, there are relatively few trials of health interventions that have been conducted entirely online. In this paper we describe the major methodological issues that arise in trials (recruitment, randomization, fidelity of the intervention, retention, and data quality), consider how the online context affects these issues, and use our experience of one online trial evaluating an intervention to help hazardous drinkers drink less (DownYourDrink) to illustrate potential solutions. Further work is needed to develop online trial methodology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

References

    1. Fox S. The online health care revolution: how the Web helps Americans take better care of themselves. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project; 2002.
    1. Fox S. Health information online. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project; 2005. OvT http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2005/PIP_Healthtopics_....
    1. Dutton WH, di Gennaro C, Hargrave AM. The Oxford Internet Survey (OxIS) Report 2005: The Internet in Britain. Oxford, UK: Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford; 2005. pp. 1–60.5flNcu2aE http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/oxis/oxis2005_report.pdf.
    1. Dutton WH, Helsper E. The Internet in Britain: 2007. Oxford, UK: Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford; 2007. pp. 1–83.5flNgC9vX http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/oxis/OxIS2007_Report.pdf.
    1. Kummervold Per Egil, Chronaki Catherine E, Lausen Berthold, Prokosch Hans-Ulrich, Rasmussen Janne, Santana Silvina, Staniszewski Andrzej, Wangberg Silje Camilla. eHealth trends in Europe 2005-2007: a population-based survey. J Med Internet Res. 2008;10(4):e42. doi: 10.2196/jmir.1023. http://www.jmir.org/2008/4/e42/v10i4e42 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types