Admissible multiarm stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial designs.

ABSTRACT: Numerous publications have now addressed the principles of designing, analyzing, and reporting the results of stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials. In contrast, there is little research available pertaining to the design and analysis of multiarm stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials, utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of multiple experimental interventions. In this paper, we address this by explaining how the required sample size in these multiarm trials can be ascertained when data are to be analyzed using a linear mixed model. We then go on to describe how the design of such trials can be optimized to balance between minimizing the cost of the trial and minimizing some function of the covariance matrix of the treatment effect estimates. Using a recently commenced trial that will

SUBMITTER: Grayling MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6491976 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature