Quasi-Randomized trial

[feiner]

Hi there,
We are conducting a clinical trial comparing the outcomes of 2 surgical interventions (using 2 different commercial products). Our team operates in 3 hospitals. In one of the hospitals we always use one of the investigated interventions. In a second hospital we always the other technique and in the third we routinely use both, depending which of the products is available in the stock at the day of surgery, without any preference to any of the techniques. Would it be right to consider this trial a quasi-randomized trial?
Thanks

[Masteras]

i believe yes. The quasi experiment is the type when the groups or samples are known from the beginning. E.g. you wish to compare the weight of men and women, or the SAT score in three states of USA. This is your case, at least for the first two hospitals. The third hospital makes a difference. You could also do this experiment completely at random, take these hospitals for instance and allocate the products completely at random, what you do in the third, do it in all the hospitals.