Cluster randomised trials are trials in which groups (or clusters) of individuals are randomly allocated to different forms of treatment. In health care, these trials often compare different ways of managing a disease or promoting healthy living, in contrast to conventional randomised trials which randomise individuals to different treatments, classically comparing new drugs with a placebo. They are increasingly common in health services research. This book addresses the statistical, practical, and ethical issues arising from allocating groups of individuals, or clusters, to different interventions.

Key features:

• Guides readers through the stages of conducting a trial, from recruitment to reporting.
• Presents a wide range of examples with particular emphasis on trials in health services research and primary care, with both principles and techniques explained.
• Topics are specifically presented in the order in which investigators think about issues when they are designing a trial.
• Combines information on the latest developments in the field together with a practical guide to the design and implementation of cluster randomised trials.
• Explains principles and techniques through numerous examples including many from the authors own experience.
• Includes a wide range of references for those who wish to read further.

This book is intended as a practical guide, written for researchers from the health professions including doctors, psychologists, and allied health professionals, as well as statisticians involved in the design, execution, analysis and reporting of cluster randomised trials. Those with a more general interest will find the plentiful examples illuminating.

About the Author
Sandra Eldridge - Senior Lecturer, Medical Statistics, Queen Mary, University of London, UK
Dr Eldridge is well experienced in designing and analyzing high quality cluster randomized trials, having worked on ten such trials since the mid 1990s. An award-winning speaker on randomized trials, Dr Eldridge has given numerous presentations in many settings and conferences over the last seven years.

Reviews

"There are several unique strengths to this book. In particular the authors are very experienced statisticians having worked for many years in the design and analysis of cluster randomized trials and have written excellent methodological articles many of which are cited in their book." (Journal of Biopharmaceutical Statistics, 2012)

Book Information
ISBN 9780470510476
Author Sandra Eldridge
Format Hardback
Page Count 298
Imprint John Wiley & Sons Inc
Publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc
Weight(grams) 572g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 160mm * 23mm