Sometimes it’s the things right under your nose that are the hardest things to see. This is my desktop at home [uncharacteristically uncluttered]. Pretty much standard fare with a couple of 27" monitors connected to a big Windows 10 computer under the desk. But there are some anomalies. Why the two keyboards? and the two […]
I spent a day with the article in the last post [A manifesto for reproducible science]. It lived up to my initial impression and I learned a lot from reading it. Great stuff! But my focus here is on a particular corner of this universe – the industry-funded Clinical Trial reports of drugs that have […]
Whatever you’re reading right now [including this blog], you might just put a bookmark in it and read this paper. Besides it being written by luminaries [see scathing indictments… and the hope diamond…], it’s an encyclopedic proposal that deserves everyone’s attention: A manifesto for reproducible science [PDF] by Marcus R. Munafo, Brian A. Nosek, Dorothy […]
No New Antidepressants in Sight Despite Growing Need, Experts Warn Reuters By Kate Kelland January 11, 2017 LONDON — It is likely to be at least 10 years before any new generation of antidepressants comes to market, despite evidence that depression and anxiety rates are increasing across the world, specialists said on Wednesday. The depression […]
When our group assembled to do our RIAT analysis of Paxil Study 329, we already had access to a wealth of raw data from that clinical trial thanks to the hard work of many other people who came before us. So we had the a prori Protocol, the Statistical Analysis Plan, the CSR [Clinical Study […]
A Bully Pulpit is a conspicuous position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be listened to. This term was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, who referred to the White House as a "bully pulpit", by which he meant a terrific platform from which to advocate an agenda. Flashback In 1980, New England Journal […]
Medicare Payment for Behavioral Health Integration by Matthew J. Press, M.D., Ryan Howe, Ph.D., Michael Schoenbaum, Ph.D., Sean Cavanaugh, M.P.H., Ann Marshall, M.S.P.H., Lindsey Baldwin, M.S., and Patrick H. Conway, M.D. New England Journal of Medicine. December 14, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1614134 [full text on-line] For example, under CoCM, if a 72-year-old man with hypertension and […]
Sometimes big things come in small packages. This is from a research letter published last month in JAMA Intern Medicine. The author’s data comes from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey MEPS HC-160A: 2013 prescribed medicines: hat tip to James O… Adult Utilization of Psychiatric Drugs and Differences by Sex, […]
Use the active voice. The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive: I shall always remember my first visit to Boston. This is much better than My first visit to Boston will always be remembered by me. The latter sentence is less direct, less bold, and less concise. If the writer […]