Pragmatic trials have a different purpose than explanatory trials, which typically include the usual randomized controlled trials, epidemiological studies and naturalistic studies. The goal of a pragmatic trial is to implement an effective intervention very soon, to introduce or change a specific government or company policy, or to otherwise inform decision-makers on a particular question or problem they are trying to address right now. A pragmatic trial includes studies that test the effectiveness of an intervention in a real-world population — anyone who comes through the door — instead of a carefully selected group of participants in a controlled situation. They tend to be more representative of most people who would receive the intervention, and they are easier to generalize.
