Resumen

FORS LOPEZ, Martha María. Clinical trials and their contribution to Cuban public health. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2012, vol.38, suppl.5, pp.771-780. ISSN 0864-3466.

Public health has advanced in recent years in order to improve the quality of scientific evidence supporting interventions and specific health actions. The evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions in the clinical setting is mainly based on the design of randomized controlled trials which serve, despite their limitations, as one of the most trusted sources for making public health decisions. On the other hand, there are controversies between the investigators, institutions and the public health systems, due to some uncertainty about the generalization of these results in the public health. The differences between the characteristics of the researchers' world and those of the world of policymakers, including deadlines, interests and priorities, can contribute to these controversies, thus preventing the connection of research findings to decision-makers in this field. This paper made some considerations in this regard and briefly explained the present situation in Cuba.

Palabras clave : randomized clinical trials; scientific evidence; decision making; public health.

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