Integrity and research: Introducing the concept of dual blindness. How blind are double-blind clinical trials in alternative medicine?

Double-blind methodology is used in clinical studies to control for potenti al external or nonspecific influences such as belief and expectation, as we ll as to maintain as much objectivity as possible on the part of the resear chers. Despite not being feasible in all medical disciplines, as in the cas e of some modalities of complementary and alternative medicine, there are n umerous studies that spuriously claim its use. Distinctions and standards t herefore need to be set to avoid misleading information. We propose a new t erm in research methodology, dual-blind, to describe a methodological alter native in which the caregiver is not blind but the patient and an external evaluator/investigator are. The term double-blind should be used strictly t o describe a methodology in which both the patient and the caregiver are bl ind. Making the distinction between these two terms will result in more rel iable reports of clinical trials and will support integrity in research.