THE CAMBRIDGE STATISTICS DISCUSSION GROUP Thursday 4th April 2002 7:15 for 7:45 The Senior Parlour, Gonville and Caius College, Trinity Street, Cambridge Statistical Involvement in General Practice Trials Toby Prevost, General Practice and Primary Care Research Unit, University of Cambridge Abstract: Experience suggests that randomised controlled trials in primary care typically require greater statistical involvement than those undertaken in secondary care. I will describe "ProActive", "Addition", and "Decision Support", trials that are currently being undertaken in the General Practice and Primary Care Unit. These trials are complex because they involve cluster randomisation of general practices and/or because the intervention involves outcomes in many domains (e.g. attitudes, behaviours, body size, disease risk). Challenges for the statistician include providing precise sample size estimation, effective randomisation and appropriate analysis. Speaker: Toby came to work for the University of Cambridge in 1991 with the Health and Lifestyle Survey team, when respondents were being re-interviewed 7 years on. After a PhD in Southampton on multilevel models of family-clustered child mortality, Toby returned to Cambridge. He has worked in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care with the Centre for Applied Medical Statistics (since 1996) and the General Practice and Primary Care Research Unit (since 2000). Toby is involved in statistical consulting with clinicians and researchers and in some aspects in the planning and conducting of general practice trials. Research interests fall within the design and analysis of clustered and longitudinal studies. Directions: Enter the college by the front entrance on Trinity Street opposite St. Michael's church. Pass the Porter's lodge on your right. Turn right and follow the quadrangle around passing through the tunnel in the far righthand corner situated by 'V' entrance. Carry straight on for 28 yards till 'D' entrance appears on your right. Go through 'D' entrance and up two flights of the stairs immediately in front of you. The Senior Parlour is located to the left at the top of the second flight. Parking at the college is very restricted. Free parking (after 5pm) is available on Queen's Road by the college "backs". A pathway (Garret Hostel Lane) leads from the road across the river and terminates at the back of the college. Provisional Next Meetings: 9th May - Kris Kelly (Amgen) on 'Eleven years of statistics and statistical issues in the pharmaceutical industry'. Supper: Some members eat regularly in the University Centre before each talk meeting in the downstairs bar at 6pm. Feel free to join them. Subscriptions: of 4 pounds per member are now due for the 2001-2002 session. Cheques should be made payable to Peter Watson and may be posted to the secretary at the address below. Secretary: Peter Watson, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 2EF;telephone 01223 355294 Extension 722; E-mail [log in to unmask]