ASA Connect

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you. 

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

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Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
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Hi Lance and Other ASA Colleagues:

I have a SAS program that assigns participants in cohorts (blocks) randomly to treatment or control.
If this would be helpful, I am happy to share my program with anyone who is interested.

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Brandy Sinco, BS, MA, MS
Statistician and Programmer/Analyst
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

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Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------

Thanks, Brandy.   In your SAS program, are the blocks always of a fixed size ?    Or can it do blocks of random sizes too ?​

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Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-20-2020 08:12
From: Brandy Sinco
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

Hi Lance and Other ASA Colleagues:

I have a SAS program that assigns participants in cohorts (blocks) randomly to treatment or control.
If this would be helpful, I am happy to share my program with anyone who is interested.

------------------------------
Brandy Sinco, BS, MA, MS
Statistician and Programmer/Analyst

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

------------------------------
Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------

Hi Brandy

Please send me the SAS program for randomization that you offered to Lance Heilbrun.

Joel

Joel Michalek, PhD FASA

Professor of Biostatistics

Department of Population Health Sciences

Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine

Graduate Faculty of the Translational Science Program

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

UT Health San Antonio

7703 Floyd Curl

San Antonio, Texas 78229

Office 210 567-0886

Cell 210 326-6331

 

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Joel Michalek
UTHSCSA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-20-2020 08:12
From: Brandy Sinco
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

Hi Lance and Other ASA Colleagues:

I have a SAS program that assigns participants in cohorts (blocks) randomly to treatment or control.
If this would be helpful, I am happy to share my program with anyone who is interested.

------------------------------
Brandy Sinco, BS, MA, MS
Statistician and Programmer/Analyst

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

------------------------------
Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------

 

The PLAN procedure in SAS/STAT constructs designs and randomizes plans for factorial experiments. To construct complete and incomplete block designs, see the section "Examples" in PROC PLAN documentation.

 

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Pushpal Mukhopadhyay
Principal Research Statistician
SAS Institute Inc
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

------------------------------
Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------

Noting the word 'free', I'll suggest the blockrand function in the blockrand package of R.  It can produce variable sized blocks. You'll have to call the function k times for k strata, but that is pretty easy.

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Christopher Andrews
Statistician Expert
University of Michigan
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

------------------------------
Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------

Also noting the word "free" in the thread, I'm curious to hear whether people think there is value in a validated and version controlled software solutions.  For something as important as randomization it seems worth paying something for.  What's a fair price though?

------------------------------
Geoffrey Grove
Product Manager
Cytel
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

------------------------------
Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------

If the use is for academic, non-commercial purposes, then you can use SAS University Edition for free.  It includes SAS/STAT, so it has the PLAN procedure that Pushpal recommended.  

You can access SAS UE via AWS, or you can download and install it from the SAS UE website.  It works on all three major operating systems.

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Brian Gaines
Research Statistician Developer, SAS Institute
NC ASA Treasurer
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-21-2020 09:23
From: Geoffrey Grove
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

Also noting the word "free" in the thread, I'm curious to hear whether people think there is value in a validated and version controlled software solutions.  For something as important as randomization it seems worth paying something for.  What's a fair price though?

------------------------------
Geoffrey Grove
Product Manager
Cytel

Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

------------------------------
Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------

Hi Lance,
There is free software that does all this at https://biostatistics.mdanderson.org/SoftwareDownload/

The program is called RANLIST.  It is old DOS software but it will store your parameter file and will generate a list is a text file that you can manipulate as needed for loading it into whatever interface you need.  When block sizes are large enough, it also does a good job at balancing across strata, not just within - which I haven't seen in any other programs.  

You just need to get a DOS command window open and follow the instruction manual.  

Would love to hear if you find a free software that does this in a more modern platform.  

Becky Slack Tidwell
Sr. Statistical Analyst
MD Anderson Cancer Center.


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Becky Slack
Senior Statistical Analyst
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

------------------------------
Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------

Perhaps you might want to consider using our free Robust Randomization App (RRApp): https://clinicalresearch-apps.com/RRApp.html . Briefly our app generates simple, stratified, block, stratified block, permuted block, and stratified permuted block randomization schemes. The generated randomization schemes can also be directly imported into REDCap if you'd like.

Also, here is the citation if you would like to read more about our app:
Tu, C., & Benn, E. K. (2017). RRApp, a robust randomization app, for clinical and translational research. Journal of clinical and translational science, 1(6), 323-327.



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Emma Benn
Associate Professor
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-17-2020 09:52
From: Lance Heilbrun
Subject: Software for stratified randomization lists

​Hello.   Does anyone know of any free program(s) to generate randomization lists (i.e., treatment assignment sequences), one list for each stratum ?   The program would need to incorporate random permuted blocks in each list, ideally, allowing for either fixed block sizes or variable block sizes.   Help, please.   Thank you.

Lance K. Heilbrun, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core
Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University
Detroit, MI

------------------------------
Lance Heilbrun
Professor
Wayne State University
------------------------------