Helps in allocating patients to different treatment groups in Clinical Trials, using MS Excel

1. Clinical Trials –
Randomised Treatment
Allocation using Excel
SC Chopra
sccpharma@gmail.com

2. Plus points of Excel method
Easy to use
Predictably
unpredictable
Immune to
manipulations

3. Problems of Excel Method
Technical
Proficiency
required
Removes
Blinding of User

4. Utility of Presented Method
Pharmacist
Director of
Program
Clinical
Investigator

5. Highlights of Presented Method
• Advance allocation for required “n”
• Uncovered as the Patient ID is filled in
• Can be modified by any Excel-literate person

6. Let Us Start
Open Sheet 2 of
a new workbook
Prepare sheet as
in next slide

7. Maximum No. of Treatments
• Enter 1 in A4
• Enter formula in A5
• Copy formula in A6:A13
• Shows Sr. No. upto no. of
treatments & then “”

8. `
• Enter formula in B4
• Copy formula In B5:B13
• Gives alphabetic characters
as treatment code

9. Description of required
treatments in Column C

10. • Enter formula in D4
• Copy formula in D5:D13
• Shows no. of patients
allocated to each treatment
(Results will appear after
next step)

11. Sum of D4:D13 (Total no.
of patients allocated to all
treatments.
Should be = Total no. of
patients

12. What Have We Done So Far
Sr. No. of Treatments
Treatment Codes
Treatment Description
No. of patients allocated to each
treatment
Total No. of Patients

13. Next Step
Entering no.
of patients
Random
allocation

14. Sr No of Patients (SN_P)
from 1 to desired no. by
your preferred method

15. • Randomised treatment
(Formula in Formula Box)
• Copy formula to all
patients by your preferred
method

16. Link the two tables on Sheet 1
On sheet 1, put in the compiled information

17. • SN_P in Column A of sheet1
• You may copy from SN_P of Sheet B

18. • Leave Patient ID blank at present
• Enter this formula in C4 (Gives treatment
code for patiemt)
• No result will be visible in C4 at present
(Will appear only when Patient ID is filled)
• Copy formula down for other patients too

19. • Enter this formula in D4 (Gives Description
of Treatment Code)
• No result will be visible in D4
• Copy formula down for other patients too

20. • If distribution of patients allocated to each treatment (Col. D of Sheet 2)
is NOT acceptable, press F9 to change the allocation. If this too is NOT
acceptable, go on pressing F9 till you get an acceptable distribution.
• Please remember that it is very rare for each group to be allocated the
same number of patients

21. Acceptable
Allocation?`

22. • After obtaining an acceptable allocation, make it permanent by
selecting Treatment No. Column (Col J), copying it and then using
the Paste Special => Values functions
• Switch to Sheet 1.

23. Blank look except for SN_P

24. • Enter Patient ID for 1st patient.
• Treatment Code and Description
appear automatically
• Other columns can be used for
relevant patient data
From where did
this Treatment
Code come?

25. 4 stands
for D
4 stands
for D
4 stands
for D

26. In case of difficulty, please email me.
Mail ID is given on title slide