The assumption of non-informative censoring is widespread in epidemiologic literature. In most cohort studies, this assumption is not verifiable. In the case where censoring is informative use of standard approaches to describe survival data such as Kaplan-Meier yield biased estimates of the survival function. An expanded form of the redistribute-to-the-right algorithm represents a new method that could potentially deal with informative censoring. This study will: 1) expand redistribute-to-the-right algorithm methods to estimate the survival function in the presence of informative, right censoring; 2) under informative, right censoring, use bootstrap methods to estimate the standard error of the survival function estimated using the expanded algorithm; and 3) in MACS and ALIVE cohorts, assess the distribution of time from HIV seroconversion to death under five distinct censoring scenarios using the expanded algorithm. MACS and ALIVE represent ideal settings to apply this expanded method given that the bulk of time-to-event analyses performed in these cohorts assume non-informative censoring. As such, application of the expanded approach to data from these cohorts offers the opportunity to refine prior inferences made in these studies. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
5F31DA022114-03
Application #
7495022
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Program Officer
Hartsock, Peter
Project Start
2006-09-16
Project End
2009-06-15
Budget Start
2008-09-16
Budget End
2009-06-15
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$33,345
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218
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Smith, Lorie B; Fadrowski, Jeffrey J; Howe, Chanelle J et al. (2010) Secondary hyperparathyroidism and anemia in children treated by hemodialysis. Am J Kidney Dis 55:326-34