Bayesian Biostatistics and Diagnostic Medicine

Abstract

There are numerous advantages to using Bayesian methods in diagnostic medicine, which is why they are employed more and more today in clinical studies. Exploring Bayesian statistics at an introductory level, Bayesian Biostatistics and Diagnostic Medicine illustrates how to apply these methods to solve important problems in medicine and biology. After focusing on the wide range of areas where diagnostic medicine is used, the book introduces Bayesian statistics and the estimation of accuracy by sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for ordinal and continuous diagnostic measurements. The author then discusses patient covariate information and the statistical methods for estimating the agreement among observers. The book also explains the protocol review process for cancer clinical trials, how tumor responses are categorized, how to use WHO and RECIST criteria, and how Bayesian sequential methods are employed to monitor trials and estimate sample sizes. With many tables and figures, this book enables readers to conduct a Bayesian analysis for a large variety of interesting and practical biomedical problems.