Mixed models analysis of Medical Data Using SAS

The Institute of Statistics of the Université catholique de Louvain, is hosting on September 16-18, 2009 a course on Mixed models analysis of Medical Data Using SAS. This course will be taught by H. Brown and R. Prescott, authors of the book "Applied Mixed Models in Medicine" in the John Wiley Statistics in Practice series.

This course will be preceded on September 15, by a half day introduction to SAS procedures for mixed models.

This course is organised by the Institute of Statistics of the Université catholique de Louvain, in collaboration with SAS Belgium, and with the support of the FNRS Graduate School in Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, the Adolphe Quetelet Society (Belgian region of the IBS), the Biostatistics Section of the Belgian Statistical Society (SBS-BVS), and IDDI (International Drug Development Institute), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

Objective of the course

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. Suitable procedures are now readily available for fitting these models in well known packages such as SAS. This has led to their widespread application and knowledge of mixed models is becoming essential for medical statisticians. 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.

This course will cover the statistical background to the mixed model 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.

Instructors

Robin Prescott is Emeritus Professor of Health Technology Assessment at the University of Edinburgh. Previously he was Director of the Medical Statistics Unit at the University. He has been working in the medical field for over 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 a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and has research interest in the use of mixed models in medicine. She has over twenty five years of practical experience as a statistician and has been employed within academia, the health service and the pharmaceutical industry.

The speakers are the authors of Applied Mixed Models in Medicine, in the John Wiley Statistics in Practice series.

Audience

This course is particularly directed at statisticians, biostaticisians and medical statisticians who wish to understand the statistical background to mixed models and to carry out analyses using SAS. The course will be taught in English.

For people not familiar with the SAS procedure proc mixed, a half day introduction will be organised on September 15.

Practical Information

Location
The course (September 16-18) will take place in auditorium Socrate -242 (place du Cardinal Mercier 10-12, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve).

The optional half day introduction (September 15) will take place in the computer lab Socrate 031-032 (place du Cardinal Mercier 10-12, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve).

The course participants will have access to SAS every day after the course in this computer lab.

Roadmap
Global Map - Local Map

Schedule
September 15 - 14.00-17.00 : Introduction to SAS prox mixed (optional)
September 16 -   9.00-17.00 : Open access computer lab (17.00-19.00)
September 17 -   9.00-17.00 : Open access computer lab (17.00-19.00)
September 18 -   9.00-15.00 : Open access computer lab (15.00-19.00)
Detailed Program

Registration
Please send an email to: edt-stat-actu@uclouvain.be
Graduate School in Statistics and Actuarial Sciences
Institute of Statistics - Université catholique de Louvain
20 Voie du Roman pays
1348 Louvain-la-Neuve

The number of place being limited, we advise you to register as quickly as possible. Please indicate on your registration email which type of participants you are, invoicing will be performed accordingly. Registration will be closed on September 7, 2009.

The registration is free for members of the Academie Louvain, of the Graduate School in Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, and of the Graduate School in Public Health, Health and Society but registration is mandatory !

Course Fee
Course Fee includes:

• Participation to the half day introduction to SAS and PROC Mixed - optional
• Participation to the 3 days course by Helen Brown and Robin Prescott
• Access to Computer Lab for the duration of the course
• Course Notes
• Coffee Breaks + one sandwich lunch on September 16