Practical Guide to Cluster Ran

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

Key features:

• Guides readers through the stages of conducting a trial, fromrecruitment to reporting.
• Presents a wide range of examples with particular emphasis ontrials in health services research and primary care, with bothprinciples and techniques explained.
• Topics are specifically presented in the order in whichinvestigators think about issues when they are designing atrial.
• Combines information on the latest developments in the fieldtogether with a practical guide to the design and implementation ofcluster randomised trials.
• Explains principles and techniques through numerous examplesincluding many from the authors own experience.
• Includes a wide range of references for those who wish to readfurther.

This book is intended as a practical guide, written forresearchers from the health professions including doctors, psychologists, and allied health professionals, as well asstatisticians involved in the design, execution, analysis andreporting of cluster randomised trials. Those with a more generalinterest will find the plentiful examples illuminating.