Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Intermediate statistical techniques for the health sciences. Review of introductory concepts in statistics and probability including hypothesis testing, estimation and confidence intervals for means and proportions. Contingency tables and the analysis of multiple 2x2 tables. Correlation and regression. Multiple regression and model selection. Logistic regression and odds ratios. Basic concepts in survival analysis. Quantitative.

COURSE DETAILS:

Lab Instructor: Marie Loughin


Outline:

This course provides an opportunity for the further development of analytic skills acquired in basic courses in statistics and the health sciences. It concentrates on the relatively few techniques that are currently most used in health research, but it also seeks to provide a conceptual basis for understanding other techniques. An attempt is made to focus on unifying principles and widely applicable methods as opposed to presenting an array of unrelated ad hoc methods. The material is presented descriptively, from the point of view of understanding and practical use.

The emphasis of the course is on analysis (rather than design) of primarily observational studies where there is one outcome variable of primary interest and where the data are made up of multiple independent observations. Important areas not covered are: classical multivariate analysis (e.g., factor analysis, discriminant analysis, etc.), longitudinal data analysis, time series, random effects models, and experimental design considerations (e.g., Latin squares, etc.).

Objectives:

By the end of the course the participant should:

1. understand the concept of a statistical model and how such models correspond to specific hypotheses or questions,
2. be able to interpret the results of an analysis in relation to the original questions or hypotheses that motivated the analysis,
3. be familiar with data analysis methods commonly used in health sciences and understand the basic limitations of competing methods,
4. understand and be able to critique the analysis methods described in published health research papers,
5. be able to communicate effectively with statistical consultants.  

Topics:

The scheduling of the following topics is approximate:

1. Review of introductory statistics: Hypothesis testing, estimation and confidence intervals for means and proportions.
2. Review of basic concepts of probability with applications including diagnostic testing, sensitivity and specificity, the relative risk and the odds ratio.
3. Contingency Tables: The Chi-square test, r x c tables, multiple 2x2 tables, Simpson's paradox, Mantel- Haenszel method.
4. Correlation and simple linear regression: Regression concepts, estimation and testing for regression coefficients, evaluation of the model.
5. Multiple linear regression: Inference for regression coefficients, confounding and interaction, indicator variables, model selection, prediction, model assumptions and checking.
6. Logistic regression: Odds ratios, inference for regression coefficients, model assumptions, case-control studies.
7. Time permitting: Survival analysis including life tables, censoring, Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: