Researchers should convince policy makers to perform a classic cluster randomized controlled trial instead of a stepped wedge design when an intervention is rolled out

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Practice, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. d.kotz@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Comment

Daniel Kotz et al. J Clin Epidemiol. 2012 Dec.

. 2012 Dec;65(12):1255-6.

doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2012.06.016. Epub 2012 Sep 8.

¹ Department of General Practice, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. d.kotz@maastrichtuniversity.nl

No abstract available

Comment in

A stepped wedge cluster randomized trial is preferable for assessing complex health interventions.
Keriel-Gascou M, Buchet-Poyau K, Rabilloud M, Duclos A, Colin C. Keriel-Gascou M, et al. J Clin Epidemiol. 2014 Jul;67(7):831-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.02.016. Epub 2014 Apr 26. J Clin Epidemiol. 2014. PMID: 24774471 No abstract available.
Response to Keriel-Gascou et al.: higher efficiency and other alleged advantages are not inherent to the stepped wedge design.
Viechtbauer W, Kotz D, Spigt M, Arts IC, Crutzen R. Viechtbauer W, et al. J Clin Epidemiol. 2014 Jul;67(7):834-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.02.015. Epub 2014 Apr 29. J Clin Epidemiol. 2014. PMID: 24786595 No abstract available.

There are some circumstances where the stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial is preferable to the alternative: no randomized trial at all. Response to the commentary by Kotz and colleagues.
Mdege ND, Man MS, Taylor nee Brown CA, Torgerson DJ. Mdege ND, et al. J Clin Epidemiol. 2012 Dec;65(12):1253-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2012.06.003. Epub 2012 Sep 9. J Clin Epidemiol. 2012. PMID: 22968178 No abstract available.