In 2004, Murray et al. reviewed methodological developments in the design and analysis of group-randomized trials (GRTs). We have highlighted the developments of the past 13 years in design with a companion article to focus on developments in analysis. As a pair, these articles update the 2004 review. We have discussed developments in the topics of the earlier review (e.g., clustering, matching, and individually randomized group-treatment trials) and in new topics, including constrained randomization and a range of randomized designs that are alternatives to the standard parallel-arm GRT. These include the stepped-wedge GRT, the pseudocluster randomized trial, and the network-randomized GRT, which, like the parallel-arm GRT, require clustering to be accounted for in both their design and analysis.
In 2004, Murray et al. published a review of methodological developments in both the design and analysis of group-randomized trials (GRTs). Over the last 13 years, there have been many developments in both areas. The goal of the current paper is to review developments in analysis, with a companion paper to focus on developments in design. As a pair, these papers update the 2004 review. This analysis paper includes developments in topics included in the earlier review, such as methods for parallel-arm GRTs, inference for conditional and marginal effects, and new topics including methods to account for multiple levels of clustering and alternative estimation methods such as augmented GEE, targeted maximum likelihood and quadratic inference functions. We also examine developments in dealing with missing outcome data, including doubly robust approaches, software available for analysis, and analysis of alternative group designs (including stepped wedge GRTs, network-randomized trials, pseudo-cluster randomized trials and individually-randomized group treatment trials). These alternative designs, like the parallel-arm GRT, require clustering to be accounted for in both their design and analysis.
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