Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29315688›Full record

ArticleStatistics in medicine2018

Modeling clustering and treatment effect heterogeneity in parallel and stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials.

Karla Hemming, Monica Taljaard, Andrew Forbes

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Statistics in medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  6. Random effect misspecification in stepped wedge designs.Clinical trials (London, England) · 2022
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  11. Designing stepped wedge trials to evaluate physical activity interventions in schools: methodological considerations.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Karla HemmingInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2226-6550
Monica TaljaardOttawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada.
Andrew ForbesMonash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.

Funding

Department of Health SRF-2017-10-002
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cluster randomized trials are frequently used in health service evaluation. It is common practice to use an analysis model with a random effect to allow for clustering at the analysis stage. In designs where clusters are exposed to both control and treatment conditions, it may be of interest to examine treatment effect heterogeneity across clusters. In designs where clusters are not exposed to both control and treatment conditions, it can also be of interest to allow heterogeneity in the degree of clustering between arms. These two types of heterogeneity are related. It has been proposed in both parallel cluster trials, stepped-wedge, and other cross-over designs that this heterogeneity can be allowed for by incorporating additional random effect(s) into the model. Here, we show that the choice of model parameterization needs careful consideration as some parameterizations for additional heterogeneity induce unnecessary or implausible assumptions. We suggest more appropriate parameterizations, discuss their relative advantages, and demonstrate the implications of these model choices using a real example of a parallel cluster trial and a simulated stepped-wedge trial.

Indexed as

Cluster AnalysisComputer SimulationCross-Over StudiesData Interpretation, StatisticalHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment Outcomecluster randomized trialICCstepped-wedgetreatment effect heterogeneity

Identifiers

PMID29315688
PMCPMC5817269

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.