What does a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aim to achieve?

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a research design that primarily aims to minimize bias by randomly assigning participants to different groups, typically an experimental group that receives the intervention and a control group that does not. This randomization process is crucial as it helps ensure that any differences observed between the groups can be attributed to the intervention being tested rather than other confounding variables.

By reducing selection bias, RCTs enhance the validity of the results, allowing researchers to draw more reliable conclusions about the effectiveness or safety of treatments. Rigorous methods of randomization, along with blinding, further increase the credibility of the findings.

The other options do not accurately represent the main goal of an RCT. While comparing multiple interventions is a possible aspect of study design, it is not the primary objective of an RCT. Additionally, collecting qualitative feedback is typically outside the purview of RCTs, which focus more on quantitative measures. Lastly, although ensuring that participants receive the treatment may happen in a trial, it is not the defining aim of an RCT. The essence of RCTs lies predominantly in the randomization process to uphold the scientific integrity of the findings.