The phrase "alternation date" is not commonly used in written English and may cause confusion.
It could be used in contexts where a date is designated for alternating events or schedules, but clarity is essential.
Example: "The alternation date for the bi-weekly meetings is set for the first Monday of each month."
Alternatives: "rotation date" or "changeover date".
Quasi-random methods of allocation included alternation, date of birth, or patient record code [ 17].
Randomized controlled clinical trials or quasi-randomized studies (using alternation, date of birth, patient identification number, weekday).
Uncontrolled clinical trials and controlled but non-RCTs, including trials using a quasi-random method of allocation (eg, alternation, date of birth or case record number) were excluded.
We assessed the methods as: low risk (e.g. telephone or central randomisation; consecutively numbered sealed opaque envelopes); high risk of bias (open random allocation; unsealed or non-opaque envelopes, alternation; date of birth); unclear risk of bias.
low risk of bias (e.g. telephone or central randomisation; consecutively numbered sealed opaque envelopes); high risk of bias (open random allocation; unsealed or non-opaque envelopes, alternation; date of birth); unclear risk of bias.
We assessed the methods as: low risk of bias (e.g. telephone or central randomisation; consecutively numbered sealed opaque envelopes); high risk of bias (open random allocation; unsealed or non-opaque envelopes, alternation; date of birth); unclear risk of bias.
Nine (6%) trials were quasi-randomized trials: using a process such as alternation or date of admission to assign participants to treatment groups.
These were mostly randomised or semi-randomised (that is, the methods of allocation were alternation or birth date) studies (138/274, 50%) or prospective cohort studies (69/274, 25%).
However, "random" is often used inappropriately in the literature to describe trials in which non-random, deterministic allocation methods were used, such as alternation, hospital numbers, or date of birth.
17 225 226 227 Use of terms such as "randomisation" without further elaboration is not sufficient to describe the allocation process, as these terms have been used inappropriately to describe non-random, deterministic allocation methods such as alternation or allocation by date of birth.
With the term "quasi-RCT" we intend trials that use methods to allocate patients such as alternation, case record numbers, dates of birth, etc.
