Reply to comment on: Martin S, Schneider B, Heinemann L et al (2006) Self-monitoring of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes and long-term outcome: an epidemiological cohort study. Diabetologia 49:271–278

Excerpt

The battle between those who believe that medical progress can only be reached through randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and those who argue that information from observational trials or animal experiments should not be ignored has filled many pages of leading medical journals in recent years [1‐7]. In their letter [8], Meyer and Mühlhauser hold on to the traditional view and do not mention the shortcomings and limitations of RCTs, such as the selection of compliant non-multimorbid patients, specialised doctors, and the use of diagnostic, therapeutic and educational standards that are not representative of the ‘real world.’ Therefore, physicians are often at a loss when trying to translate RCT results into treatment for patients encountered in routine daily practice [3]. By contrast, Meyer and Mühlhauser criticise that physicians in the Retrolective Study ‘Self-monitoring of Blood Glucose and Outcome in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes’ (ROSSO) were of the real-world type and not the specially trained physicians who participate in RCTs [8]. …