Applying Clinical Trials in Social Work Practice

Social work is in the midst of a trend to assess the efficacy of various modes of treatment. This article presents a research method heavily utilized in the biomedical sector and currently entering the psychosocial disciplines to achieve this goal, namely, controlled clinical trials. This method is first described, some studies which employed it are presented, its potential benefits are explored, the problems it poses for social work use are summarized, and conclusions are put forth which suggest steps necessary for its successful use in social work practice.