Review of Recent Methodological Developments in Group-Randomized Trials: Part 1-Design

Am J Public Health. 2017 Jun;107(6):907-915. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.303706. Epub 2017 Apr 20.

Abstract

In 2004, Murray et al. reviewed methodological developments in the design and analysis of group-randomized trials (GRTs). We have highlighted the developments of the past 13 years in design with a companion article to focus on developments in analysis. As a pair, these articles update the 2004 review. We have discussed developments in the topics of the earlier review (e.g., clustering, matching, and individually randomized group-treatment trials) and in new topics, including constrained randomization and a range of randomized designs that are alternatives to the standard parallel-arm GRT. These include the stepped-wedge GRT, the pseudocluster randomized trial, and the network-randomized GRT, which, like the parallel-arm GRT, require clustering to be accounted for in both their design and analysis.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Cluster Analysis*
  • Humans
  • Models, Statistical
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / methods*
  • Research Design*
  • Sample Size