Introduction to target trial emulation in rehabilitation: a systematic approach to emulate a randomized controlled trial using observational data.
Pierre Côté, Stefano Negrini, Sabrina Donzelli, Carlotte Kiekens, Chiara Arienti, Maria G Ceravolo, Douglas P Gross, Irene Battel, Giorgio Ferriero, Stefano G Lazzarini, Bernard Dan, Heather M Shearer, Jessica J Wong
PMID 38420907WHAT IT FOUND
This paper describes how researchers can use existing observational data to compare rehabilitation services when randomised trials are not possible.
It reports no patient outcomes and gives no evidence that any treatment works.
What this paper is
This is a methodological introduction to target trial emulation in rehabilitation. It explains how observational data could be used to design a study that imitates a randomised trial. It reports no patient outcomes and gives no evidence about whether any rehabilitation treatment works. There is nothing here to change clinical practice.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the stroke rehabilitation example as evidence that a service works. It describes a possible study question, not a completed trial result.