The article “Target trial emulation: bridging observational studies and randomised trials for health decision-making” has been published in The Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research. The authors include SUPSI researcher Emilia Riggi and Gian Luca Di Tanna, Professor of Biostatistics and Health Economics.

The journal is an international benchmark in the field of comparative effectiveness research, an area that compares treatments and healthcare interventions to understand which work best in real-world practice and to guide informed decisions by doctors, patients and policymakers. But how can reliable evidence be produced when it is not possible to conduct traditional clinical trials? Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are indeed considered the most rigorous method, but they are not always feasible.

The article proposes an innovative solution: target trial emulation (TTE). In simple terms, this involves designing an ‘ideal study’, as if it were a randomised clinical trial, and then emulating it using existing data, such as that collected in health registries.
This approach allows us to make use of real-world data that is already available, improve the reliability of observational studies, reduce the risk of bias, and make research more transparent and reproducible.
 
A particularly interesting aspect is the possibility of using registers that are continuously updated. This allows for the creation of genuine ‘living protocols’, which evolve over time as new data becomes available, making research more flexible and timely.

Target trial emulation does not replace traditional clinical trials, but complements them, offering a valuable tool, particularly in cases where trials are not feasible.
In an era where health data is increasingly abundant, this approach demonstrates how it is possible to transform it into reliable evidence, helping to tangibly improve clinical and healthcare decisions.

The full article is available here.