Multiplicity 2: Multiple treatments and multiple outcomes

Abstract

CB, Conventional brackets; pSLB, passive self-ligating brackets; aSLB, active self-ligating brackets. In the previous article, I discussed subgroup analyses. In this article and the next, we will consider other aspects of clinical trials that lead to multiplicity of data when multiple hypotheses are tested at the same time. In particular, I will discuss trials with multiple outcome end points, which are a combination of individual events, more than 2 treatment groups, and data collected from repeated measurements over time (Figure). If we have multiple treatments—eg, a 3-arm trial comparing conventional brackets, passive self-ligating brackets, and active self-ligating brackets—there are several possible comparisons, as shown in the Table. The main issues with multiple treatments are related to the following.