The meaning of confounding adjustment in the presence of multiple versions of treatment: an application to organ transplantation

We describe how explicitly outlining the target trial (i.e. the hypothetical randomized trial which would answer the causal question of interest) to be emulated by an observational study analysis helps conceptualize treatment versions, guides selection of appropriate adjustment variables, and helps clarify the settings in which causal effects of compound treatments will be of value to decision-makers.
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research