The science of pilot trials is evolving, and understanding of their role in medical research is increasing. Perioperative randomised controlled trials often test interventions that are inherently multidisciplinary and complex; therefore, there might be compelling reasons to conduct pilot studies to assess feasibility and inform trial design. As pilot studies themselves require resources, investigators should not squander this opportunity; they should design them so that they properly address the sources of uncertainty regarding the success of the definitive trial.

中文翻译：

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围手术期随机对照试验：试点还是不试点？


试点试验的科学正在不断发展，人们对其在医学研究中的作用的理解也在不断加深。围手术期随机对照试验通常测试本质上是多学科且复杂的干预措施；因此，可能有令人信服的理由进行试点研究以评估可行性并为试验设计提供信息。由于试点研究本身需要资源，研究者不应浪费这个机会；他们应该设计它们，以便正确解决最终试验成功与否的不确定性来源。