In fact, to cite a BMJ educational report, 'when the effectiveness of the intervention depends on the subject's active participation', a reflection of the patient's preferences, 'a randomized trial may be inappropriate because the very act of random allocation may reduce the effectiveness of the intervention' [ 84].
Our study design implied a risk of confounding, because of the absence of random allocation.
Because of the clustering effect of random allocation by households, we estimated the intraclass correlations in keeping with the recommendations of Donner and Klar.
15 16 They found insufficient good evidence to recommend treatment, mainly because of inadequacies in design or reporting of random allocation method, sample size, follow-up, or failure to use intention to treat analysis.
From a methodological point of view, the trial had several shortcomings because, for example, they did not provide details on concealment of random allocation or blinding of outcome assessors.
Because simple minimisation within centres can lead to alternation of treatment allocation and potential loss of allocation concealment, we also incorporated a degree of random allocation.
Because simple minimisation within centres can, in theory, lead to alternation of treatment allocation, the algorithm also incorporates 30% of random allocation.
As simple minimisation within centres can lead to the alternation of treatment allocation and potential loss of allocation concealment, a degree of random allocation was also incorporated.
Even participants who could correctly explain the rationale behind random allocation doubted the possibility of equipoise and saw no benefits of random allocation over the doctor/patient choice.
One of the most important aspects of random allocation is that it eliminates selection bias.
