Sample size requirements and the cost of a randomized clinical trial with repeated measurements

Stat Med. 1986 Nov-Dec;5(6):663-7. doi: 10.1002/sim.4780050613.

Abstract

This paper discusses the advantage of using repeated outcome measurements on subjects in a clinical trial. We choose the number of subjects and the number of repeated outcome measurements to minimize a given cost function so that the clinical trial has power (1-beta) for specified significance level alpha. An example illustrates the results and emphasizes the importance of study design and of critical evaluation of how one measures the study endpoint.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Biometry
  • Clinical Trials as Topic / economics
  • Clinical Trials as Topic / methods*
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Humans
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Random Allocation