Using Stata throughout a clinical trial for patients with MS - Research from UCL
Written by Dr. Thomas Williams, Clinical research fellow and honorary neurology SpR, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL.
Medical professionals taking their first steps into the world of research very quickly come across a common dilemma: to what extent can we be sure that our results, typically derived from a relatively small sample, can be used to draw meaningful conclusions about the entire population of such patients? In addressing this question, we rely heavily upon statistical modelling, a subject often given only a cursory introduction in standard medical education.
To this end, access to Stata software, together with the accompanying education and support packages, can be invaluable. The combination of coding that is quick to pick up, comprehensively supported with online guides, and readily shareable and editable with other collaborators via do-files, has resulted in Stata becoming the “go-to” statistical software within our research department.
In my personal experience, Stata has allowed us to draw firm conclusions on many important questions for our patients with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS), influencing how we monitor their response to treatment, and how we can predict the future progression of their disability.
Ultimately, through statistical modelling carried out in Stata, we will be able to answer the key question of our ongoing MS-STAT2 clinical trial – does treatment with simvastatin slow down the rate of disability worsening for people with SPMS? If the answer is yes (fingers crossed!), this will be a game-changer for the treatment of SPMS worldwide, providing a cheap new treatment to address what is currently a huge unmet need.
Thinking of using Stata in your research? Medical researchers rely on Stata for its range of biostatistical methods, reproducibility, and ease of use.