Block randomization in clinical trials
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0253-9624.2019.04.022
- VernacularTitle: 临床试验中的区组随机化
- Author:
Hailian YANG
1
;
Xianbo WU
;
Chen MAO
Author Information
1. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Chine
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Clinical trial;
Block randomization
- From:
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine
2019;53(4):437-440
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Randomization is the key to ensure the balance of confounders between the comparison groups in clinical trials, and it is the statistical basis for making the study results comparable. A simple randomization in a clinical trial with large sample-size allows for a balanced comparison of the number of subjects and confounding factors between groups, but in a clinical trial with small sample-size, it is necessary to use a restricted randomization method (the blocked randomization). Block randomization ensures that the number of subjects between groups is basically equal, maximize the effectiveness of clinical trials as the standard error of the treatment-effect estimate is decreased, which affords big rewards in scientific accuracy and credibility.
