Rethinking Clinical Trials: A Living Textbook of Pragmatic Clinical Trials
Welcome to the Living Textbook of pragmatic clinical trials, a collection of knowledge from the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory. Pragmatic clinical trials present an opportunity to efficiently generate high-quality evidence to inform medical decision-making. However, these trials pose different challenges than traditional clinical trials. The Living Textbook reflects a collection of special considerations and best practices in the design, conduct, and reporting of pragmatic clinical trials.
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What is the
NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory?
What is a
pragmatic clinical trial?
Training Resources
Featured
Continuing Education Units Now Available for Learning Path on Pragmatic Trial Design
Researchers who complete the Pragmatic Clinical Trials Study Design learning pathway will earn AMA PRA Category .75 Credit™ or JA credit AH. Self-paced modules include videos, reference materials, and knowledge checkpoints. The path is free and requires 1 hour to complete.
New Podcast Episode Provides an Editor’s Perspective on the Role of AI in Scientific Publishing
In a new episode of the NIH Collaboratory Podcast, Roy Perlis of Harvard Medical School and JAMA+ AI discusses the impact of AI on the scientific publishing industry as well as the opportunities and risks that lie ahead.
Subscribe for free on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, or SoundCloud.
NIH COLLABORATORY TRIALS
Pragmatic clinical trials that address questions of major public health importance and provide proof of concept for innovative pragmatic research designs.
CORES
Working groups that support the conduct of NIH Collaboratory Trials and generate guidance addressing implementation challenges.
DISTRIBUTED RESEARCH NETWORK
Network enabling investigators to collaborate in the use of electronic health data while safeguarding protected health information.
Upcoming Learning Opportunities
Grand Rounds June 26, 2026: Precision Engagement to Improve Population Health (Phillip D. Levy, MD, MPH)
June 26 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
NEWS
- June 16, 2026: LungSMART Team Uses Bilingual Formative Evaluation to Hone Study’s Digital Health ContentThe LungSMART research team conducted a bilingual messaging study and usability assessment to evaluate and adapt the study’s digital health content for patients in community health centers in Utah. The ...
- June 15, 2026: Study Design Paper Published for APA-SMThe study design paper for APA-SM has been published online in BMJ Open. Congratulations to the study team on reaching this important milestone for all NIH Collaboratory Trials! The APA-SM trial ...
- June 11, 2026: Harnessing Qualitative Methods in Pragmatic Trials: An Interview With Emily O’Brien and David ChambersQualitative methods can bring additional dimensions to pragmatic research to help study teams better understand participants’ experiences, improve recruitment and retention, and contextualize study results. At the NIH Collaboratory’s 2026 ...