The World Health Organization states, “Use of standardized core outcome sets (that is, the minimum outcomes that should be measured and reported in all clinical trials of a specific condition, reflecting outcomes relevant to decision-makers and patients) should be considered for all trials, to enable the results of studies being compared, contrasted and combined (for example, in later meta-analyses) as appropriate.”
Read the complete WHO guidance for best practices for clinical trials here.
Red Hat Group Statement: WHO Endorsement of Core Outcome Sets
In its recent report, Guidance for Best Practices for Clinical Trials, the World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for the use of Core Outcome Sets (COS) in clinical trials. COS represent a minimum set of outcomes that must be measured in all trials, ensuring consistency and standardization across studies.
Adoption of Core Outcome Sets:
🔹 Ensures outcomes important to patients and to decision makers are used in clinical trials.
🔹 Reduces research waste by having the same meaningful data across trials.
🔹 Promotes harmonization of clinical trials thus fostering stronger evidence synthesis to inform policy and practice.
The Red Hat Group (RHG) fully supports the WHO’s recommendation, recognizing the transformative potential of COS to advance the quality and impact of clinical research. By advocating for the widespread adoption of COS, RHG seeks to align clinical research with the needs of patients and healthcare providers, fostering collaborative development, shared knowledge, and improved outcomes across trials.
Through the RHG, our organizations remain committed to promoting scientific collaboration and facilitating the adoption of COS through joint initiatives that bridge the gap between research, health policy and clinical practice.
The Red Hat Group (RHG) was formed at the COMET VII meeting in Amsterdam in 2018, and comprises several initiatives related to improving choice of outcomes in health research – COMET, OMERACT, C3, GRADE, COSMIN, CDISC and SONG.