Optimizing precision in stepped-wedge designs via machine learning and quadratic inference functions
通过机器学习与二次推断函数优化阶梯楔形设计的估计精度
Stepped-wedge designs are increasingly used in randomized experiments to accommodate logistical and ethical constraints by staggering treatment roll-out over time. Despite their popularity, existing analytical methods largely rely on parametric models with linear covariate adjustment and prespecified correlation structures, which may limit achievable precision in practice. We propose a new class of estimators for the causal average treatment effect in stepped-wedge designs…