Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume 63, Issue 10 , Pages 1118-1122 , October 2010

Studywise minimization: A treatment allocation method that improves balance among treatment groups and makes allocation unpredictable

  • Marieke Perry

      Affiliations

    • Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +31-24-3616772; fax: +31-24-3617408.
    • ,
  • Miriam Faes

      Affiliations

    • Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Miriam F. Reelick

      Affiliations

    • Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Marcel G.M. Olde Rikkert

      Affiliations

    • Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • George F. Borm

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and HTA, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands

,Accepted 20 November 2009.

References 

  1. Tu D, Shalay K, Pater J. Adjustments of treatment effect for covariates in clinical trials: statistical and regulatory issues. Drug Inf J. 2000;4:511–523
  2. McEntegart DJ. The pursuit of balance using stratified and dynamic randomisation techniques. Drug Inf J. 2003;37:293–308
  3. Rosenberger WF, Lachin JM. Randomisation in clinical trials. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 2002;
  4. Borm GF, Fransen J, Lemmens WA. A simple sample size formula for analysis of covariance in randomized clinical trials. J Clin Epidemiol. 2007;60:1234–1238
  5. Moye LA. Disciplined analyses in clinical trials: the dark heart of the matter. Stat Methods Med Res. 2008;17:253–264
  6. Kernan WN, Viscoli CM, Makuch RW, Brass LM, Horwitz RI. Stratified randomization for clinical trials. J Clin Epidemiol. 1999;52:19–26
  7. Borm GF, Hoogendoorn EH, den HM, Zielhuis GA. Sequential balancing: a simple method for treatment allocation in clinical trials. Contemp Clin Trials. 2005;26:637–645
  8. Scott NW, McPherson GC, Ramsay CR, Campbell MK. The method of minimization for allocation to clinical trials. A review. Control Clin Trials. 2002;23:662–674
  9. Pocock SJ, Simon R. Sequential treatment assignment with balancing for prognostic factors in the controlled clinical trial. Biometrics. 1975;31:103–115
  10. Taves DR. Minimization: a new method of assigning patients to treatment and control groups. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1974;15:443–453
  11. Signorini DF, Leung O, Simes RJ, Beller E, Gebski VJ, Callaghan T. Dynamic balanced randomization for clinical trials. Stat Med. 1993;12:2343–2350
  12. Kalish LA, Begg CB. Treatment allocation methods in clinical trials: a review. Stat Med. 1985;4:129–144
  13. Perry M, Draskovic I, van AT, Borm GF, van Eijken MI, Lucassen P, et al. Can an EASYcare based dementia training programme improve diagnostic assessment and management of dementia by general practitioners and primary care nurses? The design of a randomised controlled trial. BMC Health Serv Res. 2008;8:71
  14. Turner S, Iliffe S, Downs M, Wilcock J, Bryans M, Levin E, et al. General practitioners' knowledge, confidence and attitudes in the diagnosis and management of dementia. Age Ageing. 2004;33:461–467
  15. Freedman LS, White SJ. On the use of Pocock and Simon's method for balancing treatment numbers over prognostic factors in the controlled clinical trial. Biometrics. 1976;32:691–694
  16. Begg CB, Iglewicz B. A treatment allocation procedure for sequential clinical trials. Biometrics. 1980;36:81–90
  17. Rovers MM, Straatman H, Zielhuis GA, Ingels K, van der Wilt GJ. Using a balancing procedure in multicenter clinical trials. Simulation of patient allocation based on a trial of ventilation tubes for otitis media with effusion in infants. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2000;16:276–281
  18. Rovers MM, Straatman H, Zielhuis GA. Comparison of balanced and random allocation in clinical trials: a simulation study. Eur J Epidemiol. 2000;16:1123–1129
  19. Zielhuis GA, Straatman H, van 't Hof-Grootenboer AE, van Lier HJ, Rach GH, van den BP. The choice of a balanced allocation method for a clinical trial in otitis media with effusion. Stat Med. 1990;9:237–246

PII: S0895-4356(09)00384-9

doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.11.014

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume 63, Issue 10 , Pages 1118-1122 , October 2010

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution