CLINIMETRY (CLINICAL-STUDIES) - A BALANCE

Clinical research in surgery is critisized now and than throughout the world because of its deficits in controlled clinical trials, the redu ced spectrum of its clinical study types, and its methodological flaws . German surgery, however, has always shown reasonable standing in suc h areas of conflict by following a separate path: integration of clini metric and biomedical reseach, Europeanizing clinical trials, clinical research in quality management and clinical practice guidelines, and installation of social psychology as basic science into outcome resear ch. This separate path - in contrast to surgery in the U.S. - should, indeed, be followed insistently.