A note regarding meta‐analysis of sequential trials with stopping for efficacy |
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Authors: | Stephen Senn |
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Affiliation: | Competence Center for Methodology and Statistics, CRP‐Santé, , Strassen, Luxembourg |
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Abstract: | It is shown that fixed‐effect meta‐analyses of naïve treatment estimates from sequentially run trials with the possibility of stopping for efficacy based on a single interim look are unbiassed (or at the very least consistent, depending on the point of view) provided that the trials are weighted by information provided. A simple proof of this is given. An argument is given suggesting that this also applies in the case of multiple looks. The implications for this are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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Keywords: | meta‐analysis sequential analysis fixed effects weighting information consistency |
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