The statistical analysis of cost-effectiveness data is becoming increasingly important within health and medical research. Statistical Analysis of Cost-Effectiveness Data provides a practical book that synthesises the huge amount of research that has taken place in the area over the last two decades. Comprising an up-to-date overview of the statistical analysis of cost-effectiveness data, the book is supported by numerous worked examples from the author’s own experience. It has been written in a style suitable for medical statisticians and health care professionals alike. Key features include: an overview of statistical methods used in the analysis of cost-effectiveness data. coverage of Bayesian methodology. illustrated throughout by worked examples using real data. suitability for health care professionals with limited statistical knowledge. discussion of software used for data analysis. An essential reference for biostatisticians and health economists engaged in cost-effectiveness analysis of health-care interventions, both in academia and industry. Also of interest to graduate students of biostatistics, public health and economics.

Medical cost has received increasing interest recently in Biostatistics and public health. Statistical analysis and inference of life time medical cost have been challenging by the fact that the survival times are censored on some study subjects and their subsequent cost are unknown. Huang (2002) proposed the calibration regression model which is a semiparametric regression tool to study the medical cost associated with covariates. In this thesis, an inference procedure is investigated using empirical likelihood ratio method. The unadjusted and adjusted empirical likelihood confidence regions are constructed for the regression parameters. We compare the proposed empirical likelihood methods with normal approximation based method. Simulation results show that the proposed empirical likelihood ratio method outperforms the normal approximation based method in terms of coverage probability. In particular, the adjusted empirical likelihood is the best one which overcomes the under coverage problem.

This User’s Guide is intended to support the design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, and quality evaluation of registries created to increase understanding of patient outcomes. For the purposes of this guide, a patient registry is an organized system that uses observational study methods to collect uniform data (clinical and other) to evaluate specified outcomes for a population defined by a particular disease, condition, or exposure, and that serves one or more predetermined scientific, clinical, or policy purposes. A registry database is a file (or files) derived from the registry. Although registries can serve many purposes, this guide focuses on registries created for one or more of the following purposes: to describe the natural history of disease, to determine clinical effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of health care products and services, to measure or monitor safety and harm, and/or to measure quality of care. Registries are classified according to how their populations are defined. For example, product registries include patients who have been exposed to biopharmaceutical products or medical devices. Health services registries consist of patients who have had a common procedure, clinical encounter, or hospitalization. Disease or condition registries are defined by patients having the same diagnosis, such as cystic fibrosis or heart failure. The User’s Guide was created by researchers affiliated with AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, particularly those who participated in AHRQ’s DEcIDE (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness) program. Chapters were subject to multiple internal and external independent reviews.

The Most Comprehensive and Cutting-Edge Guide to Statistical Applications in Biomedical Research With the increasing use of biotechnology in medical research and the sophisticated advances in computing, it has become essential for practitioners in the biomedical sciences to be fully educated on the role statistics plays in ensuring the accurate analysis of research findings. Statistical Advances in the Biomedical Sciences explores the growing value of statistical knowledge in the management and comprehension of medical research and, more specifically, provides an accessible introduction to the contemporary methodologies used to understand complex problems in the four major areas of modern-day biomedical science: clinical trials, epidemiology, survival analysis, and bioinformatics. Composed of contributions from eminent researchers in the field, this volume discusses the application of statistical techniques to various aspects of modern medical research and illustrates how these methods ultimately prove to be an indispensable part of proper data collection and analysis. A structural uniformity is maintained across all chapters, each beginning with an introduction that discusses general concepts and the biomedical problem under focus and is followed by specific details on the associated methods, algorithms, and applications. In addition, each chapter provides a summary of the main ideas and offers a concluding remarks section that presents novel ideas, approaches, and challenges for future research. Complete with detailed references and insight on the future directions of biomedical research, Statistical Advances in the Biomedical Sciences provides vital statistical guidance to practitioners in the biomedical sciences while also introducing statisticians to new, multidisciplinary frontiers of application. This text is an excellent reference for graduate- and PhD-level courses in various areas of biostatistics and the medical sciences and also serves as a valuable tool for medical researchers, statisticians, public health professionals, and biostatisticians.

What can be more vital to each of us than our health? Yet, despite unprecedented health care spending, the U.S. health system is substantially underperforming, especially with respect to what should be possible, given current knowledge. Although the United States is currently devoting 18% of its Gross Domestic Product to delivering medical care¿more than $3 trillion annually and nearly double the expenditure of other advanced industrialized countries¿the U.S. health system ranked only 37th in performance in a World Health Organization assessment of member nations. In Vital Directions for Health & Health Care: An Initiative of the National Academy of Medicine, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM, formerly the Institute of Medicine), which has long stood as the nation¿s most trusted independent source of guidance in health, health care, and biomedical science, has marshaled the wisdom of more than 150 of the nation¿s best researchers and health policy experts to assess opportunities for substantially improving the health and well-being of Americans, the quality of care delivered, and the contributions of science and technology. This publication identifies practical and affordable steps that can and must be taken across eight action and infrastructure priorities, ranging from paying for value and connecting care, to measuring what matters most and accelerating the capture of real-world evidence. Without obscuring the difficulty of the changes needed, in Vital Directions, the NAM offers an important blueprint and resource for health, policy, and leaders at all levels to achieve much better health outcomes at much lower cost.

Empirical Likelihood Methods in Biomedicine and Health provides a compendium of nonparametric likelihood statistical techniques in the perspective of health research applications. It includes detailed descriptions of the theoretical underpinnings of recently developed empirical likelihood-based methods. The emphasis throughout is on the application of the methods to the health sciences, with worked examples using real data. Provides a systematic overview of novel empirical likelihood techniques. Presents a good balance of theory, methods, and applications. Features detailed worked examples to illustrate the application of the methods. Includes R code for implementation. The book material is attractive and easily understandable to scientists who are new to the research area and may attract statisticians interested in learning more about advanced nonparametric topics including various modern empirical likelihood methods. The book can be used by graduate students majoring in biostatistics, or in a related field, particularly for those who are interested in nonparametric methods with direct applications in Biomedicine.