Abstract
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Caplan and colleagues (2015) present a strong argument
for using alternative trial designs for experimental treatments
for Ebola virus disease (EVD). This argument is, of
course, not new. There is a significant body of work in the
philosophy of medicine that highlights the moral authority
given to randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the fact
that RCTs are often chosen not because these are needed
but because people simply do not recognize that they can
get evidence that is just as useful from other trial designs
(Kerridge 2010).