BIOSTATISTICS IS A CRITICAL SUBJECT IN CURRENT HEALTH DATA RESEARCH
An Academic presentation by Dr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical O perations, Pubrica Group: www.pubrica.com Email: sales@pubrica.com
Today's Outline Introduction The problem Necessary steps The international situation a n d Australia’s position Potential solutions About Pubrica
Introduction The National Health a n d Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia spends over $800 million per year on medical a n d public health research, mo s t of which is dependent on accurate d a t a analysis a n d interpretation.
We suggest that unless considerable attention is m a d e to strengthening the essential scientific discipline of Bio Statistical Programming Services, the value of our health research investment, in terms of better health a n d lives saved, is endangered.
This danger is exacerbated by the development of research opportunities provided by the significant d a t a age, which quickly increases the availability a n d scale of new data, needing a better grasp of statistical concerns a n d computational tools. Conc erns a b out Austra lia ’s b iosta tistic a l und erp inning s were exp ressed in a statement released b y the International Society of Biostatistics.
THE PROBLEM
In the presence of unpredictability a n d uncertainty, statistical reasoning offers the theoretical foundation for extracting information from data. Most experimental research in public health a n d clinical care relies on biostatistical input on everything from study design to d a t a analysis a n d reporting, with the best studies combining biostatistical information on everything from study design to d a t a analysis a n d recording.
Clinical biostatistics programming service approaches are a t the foundation of essential public health research disciplines, including epidemiology a n d health services research, a function that reflects the discipline’s basic character. On the other hand, bioinformatics a n d computational biology are vital emerging areas in data-intensive biomedical research that are anchored by statistical principles a n d methodologies a n d components highly informed by other basic disciplines like computer science a n d mathematics.
“These issues [ o f poor study design, conduct, a n d analysis] are often related to misuse of statistical methods, which is exacerbated b y inadequate training in methods,” according to a recent review of the scale of waste a n d ineffectiveness in health research, echoing similar observations m a d e more than two decades earlier. Importantly, biostatistics, as a
subdiscipline of clinical case report
statistical service (perhaps the first “data science “5), is a recognized scientific discipline in its own right, rather than a collection of procedures that m u s t be applied appropriately.
Not only does goo d biostatistical work include a n understanding of mathematics, probability, a n d causes of bias, which underpin statistical theory a n d methodologies, b ut it also necessitates ( a n d increasingly) substantial technological capabilities, such as computers. To develop these abilities a n d the understanding required to conceptualize issues a n d traverse the difficult seas between real-world health challenges a n d complicated methodologies, i n - d e p t h training is essential. According to a recent analysis, m os t physicians struggle to complete such training. A superficial comprehension of statistics c a n readily lead to improper behaviour a n d be criticized.
Necessary steps
Recognition of biostatistics as a n a c a d e m i c field, essential to the intellectual architecture of the larger research enterprise, is required for the development of biostatistics as a core subject within educational health a n d medical research.
This necessitates systems that support biostatistical work a t all levels, from nonspecialists like physicians through master ’s level biostatistics graduates a n d doctorate students, postdoctoral research leaders in biostatistical methods.
researchers,
and
·The requirement for a c a d e m i c effort across this spectrum is c o m m o n in
other fields of science, b ut it is sometimes overlooked in biostatistics due to a propensity to treat the subject as merely a toolset of procedures rather than a growing scientific discipline. Medical Biostatistical Programming Service comprises a long process that includes m a t h e m a t i c a l derivations a n d conceptualizations, simulation studies, thorough case studies, a n d the translation of newly created methodologies for use by other researchers.
·The development of marginal structural models, which enabled the
appropriate handling of t i m e - d e p e n d e n t confounding in treatment decisions based on CD4 cell count levels that are themselves affected b y treatment, was critical in the wave of research into antiretrovirals for the treatment of h u m a n immunodeficiency virus infection. The training of future biostatistical leaders m u s t also include experience in methodological research.
THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION AND AUSTRALIA’S POSITION Other countries have recognized the critical role of biostatistics in health a n d medical research. Many major universities in the United States have biostatistics departments established in the 1970s thanks to financing from the National Institutes of Health for biostatistical research training programmes, with a call for a renewed effort to expand biostatistical training p r o g r a m m e s in 2006.
In a similar vein, the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom has long supported a national centre in biostatistical methodology — the Medical Research Council’s Biostatistics Unit — a n d m a n y methodology hubs whose core research a g e n d a is the statistical methodology, which has been funded since 2009. Sim ila r to Europ e a nd the United Sta tes, Austra lia ha s never invested systematically in developing biostatistics, either in universities or industry.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
Inappropriately, there is no simple fix for the issues raised, but we feel the following initiatives are necessary to enhance a n d promote the biostatistics field in Australia Universities a n d research institutes m u s t foster the development of organizational structures with a critical mass of a c a d e m i c biostatisticians working in methodology a n d collaborating with health researchers, as well as training opportunities a n d career development for biostatisticians; Biostatistics Clinical trial Research Services a n d ad v anc e d training m u s t keep pace with the d r a m a t i c changes in the d a t a science landscape to ensure that graduates have the necessary breadth of knowledge.
ABOUT PUBRICA
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