Principles and Reporting of Bayesian Trials

Abstract

Bayesian clinical trials are becoming popular owing to their adaptive, flexible, and versatile nature. Such trials typically require specification of the prior distribution and construction of the likelihood function; subsequently, inference is made on the basis of the posterior distribution. In comparison with frequentist trial designs, there are less established guidelines on how to report Bayesian trials. We provide a general overview on key components of the design, conduct, and analysis of Bayesian trials and elaborate on the reporting guidelines dos and don’ts.