Abstract:
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Bayesian analyses have the advantage of combining data from different sources. We consider a setting where some important confounders are not observed in a large primary data. However, we also have access to a smaller but richer dataset, which offers information on the unmeasured confounders. This is the same setting considered previously (McCandless et al., 2012). Here we investigate McCandless et al. method under different modeling strategies using simulation studies. Our simulation results suggest improved performance in terms of estimating averaged causal treatment effect and predicting potential outcomes, when better modeling strategies are used. We apply the method to analyze a large patient network registry data. The study is aimed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of the use of combination of biological and non-biological disease modification anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) vs. non-biological DMARD only, in children with newly onset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
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