Bayesian Methods and Ethics in a Clinical Trial Design

An interdisciplinary group provides essays which explain the nature and methodology of clinical trials through Bayesian techniques. The first section includes a discussion of the ethical debates surrounding clinical trials and the balance between yielding uncontaminated information and protecting the patient's best interest in obtaining and receiving treatment. Part two deals with the test case of verapamil/nitroprusside trial as agents for treating hypertension immediately after open heart surgery. The final segment discusses various legal and related factors of clinical trials.