Optimal allocation to treatments in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (2024)

Morciano, A. (2021). Optimal allocation to treatments in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial. Statistical Methods in Medical Research, 30(11), 2471-2484. https://doi.org/10.1177/09622802211037066

Morciano, Andrea ; Moerbeek, Mirjam. / Optimal allocation to treatments in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial. In: Statistical Methods in Medical Research. 2021 ; Vol. 30, No. 11. pp. 2471-2484.

@article{caa4160b3e7240f3b16939f75ec09b53,

title = "Optimal allocation to treatments in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial",

abstract = "One of the main questions in the design of a trial is how many subjects should be assigned to each treatment condition. Previous research has shown that equal randomization is not necessarily the best choice. We study the optimal allocation for a novel trial design, the sequential multiple assignment randomized trial, where subjects receive a sequence of treatments across various stages. A subject's randomization probabilities to treatments in the next stage depend on whether he or she responded to treatment in the current stage. We consider a prototypical sequential multiple assignment randomized trial design with two stages. Within such a design, many pairwise comparisons of treatment sequences can be made, and a multiple-objective optimal design strategy is proposed to consider all such comparisons simultaneously. The optimal design is sought under either a fixed total sample size or a fixed budget. A Shiny App is made available to find the optimal allocations and to evaluate the efficiency of competing designs. As the optimal design depends on the response rates to first-stage treatments, maximin optimal design methodology is used to find robust optimal designs. The proposed methodology is illustrated using a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial example on weight loss management.",

keywords = "cost constraint, efficiency, maximin designs, optimal allocation, response rates, sequential multiple assignment randomized trial trials",

author = "Andrea Morciano and Mirjam Moerbeek",

note = "Funding Information: The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021.",

year = "2021",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1177/09622802211037066",

language = "English",

volume = "30",

pages = "2471--2484",

journal = "Statistical Methods in Medical Research",

issn = "0962-2802",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

number = "11",

}

Morciano, A 2021, 'Optimal allocation to treatments in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial', Statistical Methods in Medical Research, vol. 30, no. 11, pp. 2471-2484. https://doi.org/10.1177/09622802211037066

Optimal allocation to treatments in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial. / Morciano, Andrea; Moerbeek, Mirjam.
In: Statistical Methods in Medical Research, Vol. 30, No. 11, 11.2021, p. 2471-2484.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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T1 - Optimal allocation to treatments in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial

AU - Morciano, Andrea

AU - Moerbeek, Mirjam

N1 - Funding Information:The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2021.

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - One of the main questions in the design of a trial is how many subjects should be assigned to each treatment condition. Previous research has shown that equal randomization is not necessarily the best choice. We study the optimal allocation for a novel trial design, the sequential multiple assignment randomized trial, where subjects receive a sequence of treatments across various stages. A subject's randomization probabilities to treatments in the next stage depend on whether he or she responded to treatment in the current stage. We consider a prototypical sequential multiple assignment randomized trial design with two stages. Within such a design, many pairwise comparisons of treatment sequences can be made, and a multiple-objective optimal design strategy is proposed to consider all such comparisons simultaneously. The optimal design is sought under either a fixed total sample size or a fixed budget. A Shiny App is made available to find the optimal allocations and to evaluate the efficiency of competing designs. As the optimal design depends on the response rates to first-stage treatments, maximin optimal design methodology is used to find robust optimal designs. The proposed methodology is illustrated using a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial example on weight loss management.

AB - One of the main questions in the design of a trial is how many subjects should be assigned to each treatment condition. Previous research has shown that equal randomization is not necessarily the best choice. We study the optimal allocation for a novel trial design, the sequential multiple assignment randomized trial, where subjects receive a sequence of treatments across various stages. A subject's randomization probabilities to treatments in the next stage depend on whether he or she responded to treatment in the current stage. We consider a prototypical sequential multiple assignment randomized trial design with two stages. Within such a design, many pairwise comparisons of treatment sequences can be made, and a multiple-objective optimal design strategy is proposed to consider all such comparisons simultaneously. The optimal design is sought under either a fixed total sample size or a fixed budget. A Shiny App is made available to find the optimal allocations and to evaluate the efficiency of competing designs. As the optimal design depends on the response rates to first-stage treatments, maximin optimal design methodology is used to find robust optimal designs. The proposed methodology is illustrated using a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial example on weight loss management.

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KW - efficiency

KW - maximin designs

KW - optimal allocation

KW - response rates

KW - sequential multiple assignment randomized trial trials

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Morciano A, Moerbeek M. Optimal allocation to treatments in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial. Statistical Methods in Medical Research. 2021 Nov;30(11):2471-2484. Epub 2021 Sept 23. doi: 10.1177/09622802211037066