MIXED MODELS ANALYSIS OF MEDICAL DATA USING SAS
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A three-day course taught at the University of Edinburgh, UK

Lecturers:	Robin Prescott and Helen Brown 

Date:		29 September - 1 October 1999


COURSE CONTENT

This course will cover the statistical background to mixed
models and will emphasise its practical application in medical
data with particular reference to clinical trials. All analyses
will be illustrated using SAS and lectures will be combined with
practical sessions in order to reinforce concepts. Topics covered
include:


Day 1

- General concepts and underlying statistical theory

- Use and interpretation of PROC MIXED

- Multi-centre trials and meta-analysis

- Consideration of issues such as biased standard errors,
significance testing and negative variance components.


Day 2

- Repeated measures trials

- Random coefficients models

- Crossover trials

- More complex trial designs

- Introduction to Bayesian methods.


Day 3

- Generalised linear mixed models

- Mixed models for ordinal data

- Applications in a range of designs

- Use of SAS procedures and macros for fitting GLMMs


WHY ATTEND?

Conventionally clinical data is analysed using fixed effects
models. However, benefits can often be gained by using a mixed
model. For example: in repeated measures trials full allowance
can be made for the correlation occurring between the repeated
observations even if data are missing; in multicentre trials or
meta analyses treatment standard errors are more appropriately
based on between centre/trial variation (fixed effects standard
errors are based on within centre/trial variation); in crossover
trials more accurate treatment means are often achieved by
combining within and between patient estimates. Previously the
use of these models has been limited by heavy computational
requirements and a lack of generally available software but this
is now much less of a restriction with the introduction of
suitable procedures into well known packages such as SAS. As with
any statistical technique a firm understanding of the theoretical
background is essential to allow its effective application and
to obtain a clear interpretation of results.


THE SPEAKERS

Robin Prescott is Director of the Medical Statistics Unit of the
University of Edinburgh. He has been working in the medical field for 
thirty years and has a particular interest in cross-over trials. He has 
wide experience of multi-centre trials and of working with the
pharmaceutical industry.

Helen Brown is Principal Statistician (from April 1999) of the Scottish 
Cancer Intelligence Unit of the NHS in Scotland. She has fourteen years 
practical experience as a statistician including five spent in the 
pharmaceutical industry and seven in the Medical Statistics Unit. She has
been active in research on the use of mixed models in medicine.


FEES

695 pounds (+ vat if applicable). Fees include daily morning
coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, a course dinner and a delegate's
pack including full course notes. A multiple booking discount of
100 pounds per delegate is offered to companies who take up three
or more places. A limited number of places will be available on
enquiry to those from academic institutions at the reduced rate
of 395 (+ vat).


FURTHER DETAILS

For booking form and accomodation information please contact,

Hamish Macandrew
Edinburgh Research and Innovation
The University of Edinburgh Training and Conference Centre
15 South College Street
Edinburgh
EH6 9AA
UK

Tel: 0131-650-9012
Fax: 0131-650-9019
email: [log in to unmask]




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