AHRQ Offers New Guide for Implementing Single-Patient Trials

AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program offers a new guide, “Design and Implementation of N-of-1 Trials: A User’s Guide,” that provides information on the design and implementation of N-of-1 trials (a.k.a. single-patient trials), a form of prospective research in which different treatments are evaluated in an individual patient over time. The guide explains how to design and use N-of-1 trials in a sustainable way by outlining potential benefits and barriers, human subject issues, financial considerations, statistical design and analysis factors, required information technology infrastructure for implementation, and training and engagement of providers and patients. Each chapter also includes a checklist to help clinicians and investigators determine if key considerations are met. Each of the six chapters can be downloaded for free by visiting the Effective Health Care Program Web site.

Research Report - Final – Feb. 12, 2014