Analysis of cluster randomized trials in primary care: a practical approach
Related Experiment Videos
M K Campbell1, J Mollison, N Steen
1Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Department of Public Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Background:
Cluster randomized trials increasingly are being used in health services research and in primary care, yet the majority of these trials do not account appropriately for the clustering in their analysis.
Objectives:
We review the main implications of adopting a cluster randomized design in primary care and highlight the practical application of appropriate analytical techniques.
Methods:
The application of different analytical techniques is demonstrated through the use of empirical data from a primary care-based case study.
Conclusion:
Inappropriate analysis of cluster trials can lead to the presentation of inaccurate results and hence potentially misleading conclusions. We have demonstrated that adjustment for clustering can be applied to real-life data and we encourage more routine adoption of appropriate analytical techniques.
Related Concept Videos
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Cluster Sampling Method
To choose a cluster sample, divide the population into clusters (groups) and then randomly select some of the clusters. All the members from these clusters are in the cluster sample. For example, if you randomly sample four departments from your...
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Study Designs in Epidemiology
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
Randomized Experiments
Simple randomization
Simple...
Clinical Trials: Overview