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Activity Number: 185
Type: Contributed
Date/Time: Monday, August 10, 2015 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
Sponsor: Section on Teaching of Statistics in the Health Sciences
Abstract #317411 View Presentation
Title: Statisticians Should Control Randomization Implementation
Author(s): Charles Goldsmith*
Companies: Simon Fraser University
Keywords: randomization, integrity, errors of inplementation, study credibility
Abstract:

Most biostatisticians would support using randomization if it is possible as part of a study in the Health Sciences, however there is very little discussion about the integrity of randomization in the manuscripts that report the results of these studies. The main reasons why randomization is preferred as an allocation procedure is that it gives credibility to the statistical tests conducted on the data collected in the study and it avoids both known (and measured) as well as unknown (and usually NOT measured) biases. Estimable treatment comparisons are then assumed not to contain bias to confound the results. After preparing a multitude of randomization plans to be implemented by study coordinators and clinical investigators, I have been impressed by how many errors in the plan administration have come to light by allowing non biostatisticians to implement the randomization schedule. This has reduced the integrity and hence the credibility of the trials that allow these errors to creep into the work. So biostatiticians who create randomization plans should control their implementation to keep integrity level high. Various examples will be used to justify this claim.


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