Adaptive Clinical Trial Design

Adaptive design is usually defined as the use of accumulating data obtained during the conduct of the trial to decide how to modify aspects of the trial as it progresses, without affecting its validity and integrity (Gallo et al., 2006). This form of research design involves a prospectively planned opportunity to modify the parameters of the study based on analysis of interim data while the study is being performed. The prospective planning of key time points for interim analysis, and the parameters for change in the study, have to be set before the study is underway.