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EBM: Trials on trial

Randomisation in clinical trials

Elaine M Beller, Val Gebski and Anthony C Keech
Med J Aust 2002; 177 (10): 565-567.

Randomisation is the process of assigning clinical trial participants to treatment groups. Randomisation gives each participant a known (usually equal) chance of being assigned to any of the groups. Successful randomisation requires that group assignment cannot be predicted in advance.

Elaine M Beller, MAppStat, Director of Biostatistics1
Val Gebski, MStat, Principal Research Fellow2
Anthony C Keech, FRACP, MScEpid, Deputy Director3
1 Queensland Clinical Trials Centre, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD.
2 NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW.
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CACHFEBA

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