Test, Learn, Adapt: Developing Public Policy with Randomised Controlled Trials

A good friend, Bill Russell, told me about a paper produced by the UK Cabinet Office calling for Randomised Controlled Trials for Public Policy. I was sceptical. When he told me Ben Goldacre (author of the excellent book, "Bad Science") was involved I was intrigued, and then wondered whether it was a spoof. But it isn't.

Hallelujah!

This paper is required reading. [update: new link] I commend it to you all and especially those I've been trying to convince for years that spreading improvements or innovations can have an ethical bias - how do you know it's a good and effective thing to spread?

And when you've read it - read it again. This has to be the best paper I've read for some years.

(I hope someone has passed it on to the Department of Health and the NHS Commissioning Board.)