Definition: Studies comparing two or more treatments or interventions in which the subjects or patients, upon completion of the course of one treatment, are switched to another. In the case of two treatments, A and B, half the subjects are randomly allocated to receive these in the order A, B and half to receive them in the order B, A. A criticism of this design is that effects of the first treatment may carry over into the period when the second is given. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)
usually drug or other ther study; IM GEN only; coord NIM with specific ther (IM); coord NIM also with any other study design such as RANDOM ALLOCATION; DOUBLE-BLIND METHOD; etc. (NIM); when pertinent add CLINICAL TRIAL (PT) or RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL