The Sequential Probability Ratio Test Applied to the Design of Clinical Experiments

Abstract

IDEALLY, any experiment should be terminated as soon as sufficient data are at hand to warrant the acceptance or rejection of the proposed hypothesis at an acceptable level of statistical significance. Unfortunately, the most commonly employed statistical tests fail to predict the expected number of observations before the experiment is begun, or to indicate the point of termination once the experiment is in progress. The advantage of a statistical design that simultaneously accomplishes both ends and also gives this information for a specified degree of statistical acceptability is obvious. Such a procedure for certain classes of experiments, clinical and otherwise, . . .