Use of estimands in cluster randomised trials: A review

The uptake of estimands in published cluster randomised trial articles is low, making it difficult to ascertain which questions were being investigated or whether statistical estimators were appropriate for those questions. This highlights an urgent need to develop guidelines on defining estimands that cover unique aspects of cluster randomised trials to ensure clarity of research questions in these trials.

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Publication Details

Journal
Clinical Trials
Published
2026-02-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/17407745251415538
Primary Topic
Advanced Causal Inference Techniques
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Use of estimands in cluster randomised trials: A review

Brennan C Kahan, Andrew J Copas, Dongquan Bi
Clinical Trials
Advanced Causal Inference Techniques
article

Use of estimands in cluster randomised trials: A review

Brennan C Kahan, Andrew J Copas, Dongquan Bi
article en

Abstract

The uptake of estimands in published cluster randomised trial articles is low, making it difficult to ascertain which questions were being investigated or whether statistical estimators were appropriate for those questions. This highlights an urgent need to develop guidelines on defining estimands that cover unique aspects of cluster randomised trials to ensure clarity of research questions in these trials.

Clinical Trials
MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL (GB), University College London (GB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 53%
Advanced Causal Inference Techniques
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Use of estimands in cluster randomised trials: A review — Brennan C Kahan, Andrew J Copas, et al. · Clinical Trials (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS