An Introduction to the Joint Modeling of Longitudinal and Survival Data, with Applications in R (ADDED FEE) — Professional Development Continuing Education Course
ASA, Biometrics Section
In follow-up studies, different types of outcomes are typically collected for each subject. These include longitudinally measured responses (e.g., biomarkers), and the time until an event of interest occurs (e.g., death, dropout). Often these outcomes are separately analyzed, but on many occasions, it is of scientific interest to study their association. This type of research question has given rise in the class of joint models for longitudinal and time-to-event data. These models constitute an attractive paradigm for the analysis of follow-up data that is mainly applicable in two settings: First, when focus is on a survival outcome, and we wish to account for the effect of endogenous time-dependent covariates measured with error, and second, when focus is on the longitudinal outcome and we wish to correct for non-random dropout.
This full-day course is aimed at applied researchers and graduate students and will provide a comprehensive introduction to this modeling framework. We will explain when these models should be used in practice, which are the key assumptions behind them, and how they can be utilized to extract relevant information from the data. Emphasis is given on applications, and after the end of the course, participants will be able to define appropriate joint models to answer their questions of interest.
*Necessary background for the course*: This course assumes knowledge of basic statistical concepts, such as standard statistical inference using maximum likelihood, and regression models. Also, basic knowledge of R would be beneficial but is not required. Participants are required to bring their laptop with the battery fully charged. Before the course instructions will be sent for installing the required software.
Instructor(s): Dimitris Rizopoulos, Erasmus University Medical Center
