An Approach To Countering Bias In Clinical Trial Design

By Ben Baumann

On A Scale From 1 To 10, With 10 Representing Utmost Importance, How Important Is A Healthy Diet To You? 

Do you have your answer? If so, I’ve got another question.

Which Appeals To You More, A Cozy Bed Or A Luxurious Meal? 

Yeah, me too.

These are hardly clinical questions, but as far as survey items go, they’re instructive examples. The wording for each is clear. The response options are distinct. The structures, a scale and a multiple choice, are familiar. But if we want valid answers to these questions, we’ve got some work to do.