Types of Control Groups in Medical Experiments

Control groups can be subdivided into the following types (see: FDA ):

Placebo concurrent control. one group is given the treatment, the other a placebo (“sugar pill”). Dose-comparison concurrent control. two different doses are administered, a different one to each group. No treatment concurrent control. one group is given the treatment, the other group is given nothing. Active treatment concurrent control. one group is given the treatment, the other group is given an existing therapy that is known to be effective. Historical control: only one physical group exists experimentally (the experimental group). the control group is compiled from historical data.

Which type of control group you use depends largely on what type of patients you are administering a treatment too. In many cases, it would be unethical to withhold treatment from a control group or provide a placebo.

Control Group: Definition, Examples and Types was last modified: January 15th, 2017 by Andale