Why Most Clinical Research Is Not Useful

doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002049

. 2016 Jun 21;13(6):e1002049.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002049. eCollection 2016 Jun.

Why Most Clinical Research Is Not Useful

John P A Ioannidis^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine and Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States of America.
² Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS), Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America.

PMID: 27328301
PMCID: PMC4915619
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002049

Why Most Clinical Research Is Not Useful

John P A Ioannidis. PLoS Med. 2016.

. 2016 Jun 21;13(6):e1002049.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002049. eCollection 2016 Jun.

Author

John P A Ioannidis^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine and Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States of America.
² Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS), Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America.

PMID: 27328301
PMCID: PMC4915619
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002049

Abstract

John Ioannidis argues that problem base, context placement, information gain, pragmatism, patient centeredness, value for money, feasibility, and transparency define useful clinical research. He suggests most clinical research is not useful and reform is overdue.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author is a member of the editorial board of PLOS Medicine.

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References

1. Macleod MR, Michie S, Roberts I, Dirnagl U, Chalmers I, et al. Biomedical research: increasing value, reducing waste. Lancet. 2014;383(9912):101–4. 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62329-6 - DOI - PubMed
1. Ioannidis JP. Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Med. 2005;2(8):e124 - PMC - PubMed
1. Ioannidis JP. How to make more published research true. PLoS Med. 2014;11(10):e1001747 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001747 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Moynihan R, Doran E, Henry D. Disease mongering is now part of the global health debate. PLoS Med. 2008;5(5):e106 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050106 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Evans JA, Shim JM, Ioannidis JP. Attention to local health burden and the global disparity of health research. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e90147 10.1371/journal.pone.0090147 eCollection 2014. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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The Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS) is funded by a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (http://www.arnoldfoundation.org). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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[1] Macleod MR, Michie S, Roberts I, Dirnagl U, Chalmers I, et al. Biomedical research: increasing value, reducing waste. Lancet. 2014;383(9912):101–4. 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62329-6 - DOI - PubMed

[2] Macleod MR, Michie S, Roberts I, Dirnagl U, Chalmers I, et al. Biomedical research: increasing value, reducing waste. Lancet. 2014;383(9912):101–4. 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62329-6 - DOI - PubMed

[3] Ioannidis JP. Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Med. 2005;2(8):e124 - PMC - PubMed

[4] Ioannidis JP. Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Med. 2005;2(8):e124 - PMC - PubMed

[5] Ioannidis JP. How to make more published research true. PLoS Med. 2014;11(10):e1001747 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001747 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] Ioannidis JP. How to make more published research true. PLoS Med. 2014;11(10):e1001747 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001747 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Moynihan R, Doran E, Henry D. Disease mongering is now part of the global health debate. PLoS Med. 2008;5(5):e106 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050106 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Moynihan R, Doran E, Henry D. Disease mongering is now part of the global health debate. PLoS Med. 2008;5(5):e106 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050106 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Evans JA, Shim JM, Ioannidis JP. Attention to local health burden and the global disparity of health research. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e90147 10.1371/journal.pone.0090147 eCollection 2014. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Evans JA, Shim JM, Ioannidis JP. Attention to local health burden and the global disparity of health research. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e90147 10.1371/journal.pone.0090147 eCollection 2014. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Why Most Clinical Research Is Not Useful

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Why Most Clinical Research Is Not Useful

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