2018-11-30
During the past several decades, stroke care delivery has been reshaped by the rise of clinical research studies in the fields of thrombolysis, endovascular therapy, and secondary prevention treatment. As such, statisticians play an important role in the successful conduct of clinical research.
When developing a clinical research proposal, statisticians choosing primary outcomes, formulating primary study hypotheses based on the chosen outcomes, determining clinically significant differences, proposing a study design with the appropriate sample size and power calculations, writing prespecified statistical analysis plans, carrying out statistical analyses, interpreting results, and safeguarding the integrity and validity of the study when there is any modification of the protocol.
In summary, teamwork between early clinical researchers and statisticians plays a key role in successfully formulating clinical research proposals and carrying out implementation.
This article discuss topics that young clinical researchers and statisticians commonly encounter. Thus, establishing communication with a statistician early on in the research process and following up frequently will optimize study design and increase opportunities for investigators beginning a clinical research career.