Ph.D. Studentship, October 2009 start:
>> Statistical methods in the economic evaluation of health interventions <<
We would like to hear from prospective students who are keen to study for a
Ph.D. We have one three or four-year studentship joint funded by the MRC and
the University of Bristol, to allow study of statistical methods in the
economic evaluation of health interventions. The studentship is available to
students from within the EU.
The successful applicant will be based either at the Department of Social
Medicine or the Department of Community Based Medicine at the University of
Bristol, and will work within the new MRC funded ConDuCT hub for clinical
trials methodology research. The four-year studentship allows a year of
training in clinical trials research for a student moving from a different
area of application.
Possible projects include:
[1] Optimising the statistical precision of economic evaluations conducted
alongside randomised controlled trials.
Supervisors: Dr Will Hollingworth & Dr Chris Metcalfe
Summary: The sample sizes of randomised controlled trials are almost always
based on achieving statistical power for comparisons of clinical outcome
rather than comparisons of cost-effectiveness. It is often assumed that
randomised controlled trials are severely underpowered on economic outcomes,
but there is little empirical evidence to substantiate this. Potential
elements of this project include a post hoc examination of statistical power
to detect an important difference in cost-effectiveness in published trials,
and a prospective study predicting statistical precision in
cost-effectiveness estimates based on pilot cost-effectiveness data.
[2] The net benefit regression framework for estimating cost effectiveness
in randomised controlled trials.
Supervisors: Dr Chris Metcalfe & Dr Will Hollingworth
Summary: Incremental net benefit is a measure of cost-effectiveness that can
be estimated using standard regression models. Consequently there is the
potential to take those statistical methods developed within the regression
framework and apply them to cost-effectiveness analysis. For example, it may
be possible to obtain an unbiased estimate of cost-effectiveness in those
patients who adhere to their allocated treatment, and to obtain accurate
standard errors for data collected in cluster randomised trials.
[3] Incorporating covariates in cost-effectiveness analysis of randomised
controlled trial evidence.
Supervisors: Dr Nicky Welton & Dr Will Hollingworth
Summary: This project aims to explore the role of covariates in
cost-effectiveness analysis modelling, to develop methods for the joint
modelling of covariates, and to investigate different methods for
integration over the covariate distributions in the cost-effectiveness analysis.
For more details and the application procedure please see the ConDuCT Ph.D.
programme prospectus, available under “Other funding opportunities” on our
postgraduate opportunities web page:
<http://www.epi.bris.ac.uk/postgrad/pg.htm>
Please get your application to us by Tuesday 30th June to ensure an October
2009 start. Later applications will be considered if the studentship is
still available.
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Chris Metcalfe PhD
Lecturer in Medical Statistics
Department of Social Medicine
University of Bristol
Canynge Hall
39 Whatley Road
Bristol
United Kingdom
BS8 2PS
T: +44(0)117 928 7326
F: +44(0)117 928 7325
E: [log in to unmask]
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