"Allocation concealment" refers to a method used in research studies to prevent biased assignment of participants to different treatment groups. It ensures that neither the researchers nor the participants know which treatment group they will be assigned to before the study begins. This helps to minimize the possibility of intentional or unintentional bias, making the study results more reliable and accurate.
Full definition
A number of methodological studies provide empirical evidence to support these precautions.152 153 Trials in which the allocation sequence had been inadequately or unclearly concealed yielded larger estimates of treatment effects than did trials in which authors reported
adequate allocation concealment.
We scored risk of bias related to random sequence generation,
allocation concealment, and selective reporting as unclear for the majority of the studies due to lack of information.Our primary outcome was pain.
We scored risk of bias related to random sequence generation,
allocation concealment, and selective reporting as unclear for the majority of the studies due to lack of information.
Few studies reported sufficient information to assess all aspects of quality, and in particular lacked detail about methods of randomisation and
allocation concealment.
There has been slight improvement in study reporting or quality, with 44 out of the 73 trials that contributed data (60 %) reporting an approach to
allocation concealment that we considered to be at low risk of bias compared to 26 of the 52 trials (50 %) in the previous review (Renfrew 2012b).
«But human trials of sitagliptin have been limited to date because they have lacked important tools like a placebo arm and
allocation concealment (in which researchers do not know what the next treatment allocation will be, further preventing selection bias in testing),» said Loomba.
Allocation concealment was implemented using sealed, sequentially numbered boxes that were identical in appearance for the 3 treatment groups.
Study quality was assessed for
allocation concealment, blinding of outcome assessors, reporting of clinically important outcomes, and follow up.
Studies were assessed against quality criteria, including: random sequence generation;
allocation concealment; blinded assessment; withdrawals; tolerability; reporting of data; intention - to - treat analysis.