\documentclass[../Main.tex]{subfiles} \begin{document} In this section I describe the model fitting, the posteriors of the parameters of interest, and intepret the results. \subsection{Data Summaries and Estimation Procedure} % Data Summaries Overall, I successfully processed 162 trials, with 1,347 snapshots between them. Figure \ref{fig:snapshot_counts} shows the histogram of snapshots per trial. Most trials lasted less than 1,500 days, as can be seen in \ref{fig:trial_durations}. Although there are a large number of snapshots that will be used to fit the model, the number of trials -- the unit of observation -- are quite low. Add to the fact that these are spread over multiple ICD-10 categories and the overall quantity of trials is quite low. To continue, we can use a scatterplot to get a rough idea of the observed relationship between the number of snapshots and the duration of trials. We can see this in Figure \ref{fig:snapshot_duration_scatter}, where the correlation (measured at $0.34$) is apparent. \begin{figure}[H] \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../assets/img/trials_details/HistSnapshots} \caption{Histogram of the count of Snapshots} \label{fig:snapshot_counts} \end{figure} \begin{figure}[H] \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../assets/img/trials_details/HistTrialDurations_Faceted} \caption{Histograms of Trial Durations} \label{fig:trial_durations} \end{figure} \begin{figure}[H] \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../assets/img/trials_details/SnapshotsVsDurationVsTermination} \caption{Scatterplot comparing the Count of Snapshots and Trial Duration} \label{fig:snapshot_duration_scatter} \end{figure} % Estimation Procedure I fit the econometric model using mc-stan \cite{standevelopmentteam_stanmodellingusersguide_2022} through the rstan \cite{standevelopmentteam_rstaninterfacestan_2023} interface using 4 chains with %describe 2,500 warmup iterations and 2,500 sampling iterations each. Two of the chains experienced a low Estimated Baysian Fraction of Missing Information (E-BFMI) , suggesting that there are some parts of the posterior distribution that were not explored well during the model fitting \cite{standevelopmentteam_runtimewarningsconvergence_2022}. I presume this is due to the low number of trials in some of the ICD-10 categories. We can see in Figure \ref{FIG:barchart_idc_categories} that some of these disease categories had a single trial represented while others were not represented at all. \begin{figure}[H] \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../assets/img/trials_details/CategoryCounts} \caption{Bar chart of trials by ICD-10 categories} \label{FIG:barchart_idc_categories} \end{figure} \subsection{Primary Results} The primary, causally-identified value we can estimate is the change in the probability of termination caused by (counterfactually) keeping enrollment open instead of closing enrollment when observed. In figure \ref{fig:pred_dist_diff_delay} below, we see this impact of keeping enrollment open. % \begin{minipage}{\textwidth} \begin{figure}[H] \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../assets/img/dist_diff_analysis/p_delay_intervention_distdiff_boxplot} \small{ Values near 1 indicate a near perfect increase in the probability of termination. Values near 0 indicate little change in probability, while values near -1, represent a decrease in the probability of termination. The scale is in probability points, thus a value near 1 is a change from unlikely to terminate under control, to highly likely to terminate. } \caption{Histogram of the Distribution of Predicted Differences} \label{fig:pred_dist_diff_delay} \end{figure} \begin{table}[H] \centering \caption{Boxplot Summary Statistics: percentage point due to intervention} \label{table:boxplotsummary} \begin{tabular}{ | c c c c c c c c | } \hline 5th & 10th & 25th & median & 75th & 90th & 95th & mean \\ \hline -2.1 & -0.8 & 0.0 & 1.2 & 4.2 & 8.2 & 11.0 & 2.5 \\ \hline \end{tabular} \end{table} % \end{minipage} The key figures from the boxplot in figure \ref{fig:pred_dist_diff_delay} are sumarized in table \ref{table:boxplotsummary} There are a few interesting things to point out here. First, over 75\% of the probability mass is equal to or above zero, suggesting that most trials will experience some harm from a delay in closing enrollment. Seconds, about 39.1\% of the probability mass is contained within the interval [-0.01,0.01]. The full 5\% percentile table can be found in table \ref{TABLE:PercentilesOfDistributionOfDifferences} \todo{fix table} in appendix \ref{Appendix:Results} Figure \ref{fig:pred_dist_dif_delay2} shows how the different disease categories tend to have a similar results: \begin{figure}[H] \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../assets/img/dist_diff_analysis/p_delay_intervention_distdiff_by_group} \caption{Distribution of Predicted differences by Disease Group} \label{fig:pred_dist_dif_delay2} \end{figure} % Continuing to the $\beta$ parameters in figure % \ref{fig:parameters_ANR_by_group}, % we can see the estimated distributions % the status: \textbf{Recruiting}. % %TOFIX: Discuss how this is a fixed effect with no comparator,i.e. compared % %to the "average" conditions it is an "increase/decrease" in the probability of termination. % This xxx in the probability of termination is strongest in the categories of Neoplasms ($n=49$), % Musculoskeletal diseases ($n=17$), and Infections and Parasites ($n=20$), the three categories with the most data. % % As this is a comparison against the trial status XXX, we note that YYY. % % \todo{The natural comparison I want to make is against the Recruting status. Do I want to redo this so that I can read that directly?It shouldn't affect the $\delta_p$ analysis, but this could probably use it. YES, THIS UPDATE NEEDS TO HAPPEN. The base needs to be ``active not recruiting.''} % Overall, this is consistent with the result that extending a clinical trial's enrollment period will reduce the probability of termination. % % \begin{figure}[H] % \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../assets/img/betas/parameter_across_groups/parameters_12_status_ANR} % \caption{Distribution of parameters associated with ``Active, not recruiting'' status, by ICD-10 Category} % \label{fig:parameters_ANR_by_group} % \end{figure} % % - % - Potential Explanations for high impact regime: % This leads to the question: % ``How could this intervention have such a wide range in the intensity % and direction of impacts?'' % The most likely explanations in my mind are that either % some trials are highly suceptable to enrollment struggles or that this is a % modelling artifact. % % - Some trials are highly suceptable. This is the face value effect % The first option -- that some trials are more suceptable to % issues with participant enrollment -- should allow us to % isolate categories or trials that contribute the most to this effect. % This is not what we find when we inspect the categories % in figure % \ref{fig:pred_dist_dif_delay2}. % Instead it appears that most of the categories have this high % impact regime when $\delta_p > 0.75$, although the maximum value % of this regime varies considerably. % % Another explanation is that this is a modelling artefact due to priors % with strong tails and the relatively low number of trials in % each ICD-10 categories. % In short, there might be high levels of uncertanty in some parameter values, % which manifest as fat tails in the distributions of the $\beta$ parameters. % Because of the logistic format of the model, these fat tails lead to % extreme values of $p$, and potentally large changes $\delta_p$. % I believe that this second explanation -- a model artifact due to uncertanty -- % is likely to be the cause. % A few things lead me to believe this: % \begin{itemize} % \item The low fractions of E-BFMI suggest that the sampler is struggling % to explore some regions of the posterior. % According to % \cite{standevelopmentteam_runtimewarningsconvergence_2022} % this is % often due to thick tails of posterior distributions. % During earlier analysis, when I had about 100 trials, the number of % warnings was significantly higher. % \item When we examine the results across different ICD-10 category, % \ref{fig:pred_dist_dif_delay2} % we note that most categories have the same upper tail spike. % \item In Figure % % \ref{fig:betas_delay}, % \ref{fig:parameters_ANR_by_group}, % we see that most ICD-10 categories % have fat tails in the $\beta$s, even among the categories % relatively larger sample sizes. % \end{itemize} % % Overally it is hard to escape the conclusion that more data is needed across % many -- if not all -- of the disease categories. % At the same time, the median result is a decrease in the probability % of termination when the enrollment period is held open. % My inclination is to believe that the overall effect is to reduce the % probability of termination. \end{document}