Methodological Aspects in Studies Based on Clinical Routine Data

Abstract

Randomized controlled clinical trials are regarded as the gold standard for comparing different clinical interventions, but generally their conduct is operationally cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive. Studies and investigations based on clinical routine data on the contrary utilize existing data acquired under real-life conditions and are increasingly popular among practitioners. In this paper, methodological aspects of studies based on clinical routine data are discussed. Important limitations and considerations as well as unique strengths of these types of studies are indicated and exemplarily demonstrated in a recent real-case study based on clinical routine data. In addition two simulation studies reveal the impact of bias in studies based on clinical routine data on the type I error rate and false decision rate in favor of the inferior intervention. It is concluded that correctly analyzing clinical routine data yields a valuable addition to clinical research; however, as a result of a lack of statistical foundation, internal validity, and comparability, generalizing results and inferring properties derived from clinical routine data to all patients of interest has to be considered with extreme caution.

Funding: Grünenthal GmbH.

Keywords: Bias; Blinding; Clinical routine data; Internal validity; Randomization.

Fig. 1

Relative number of significant study results in the case of no treatment difference (type I error rate)