Minimisation is much better than the randomised block design in certain cases

doi:10.1136/bmj.318.7195.1420

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Tom Treasure, Professor of cardiothoracic surgery,
Kenneth D MacRae, Medical statistician

St George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0QT
5 Northcroft Terrace, London W13 9SP

EDITOR—In commenting on our editorial1 Ross suggests that the randomised block design is similar to minimisation but has even more power.2 We are unaware of any publication which shows that this is the case. He also states that these two methods have the same disadvantage—that assignment to a block becomes a major undertaking. In fact, minimisation …