Dictionary
The Dictionary provides concise definitions of health economics terms, arranged alphabetically for quick reference. Use it to understand unfamiliar terminology or confirm the meaning of a specific term.
A
- Available Case Analysis
- A missing data method including all observations available for each specific calculation, potentially using different subsets across different parts of an analysis.
C
- Completer Analysis
- A missing data method including only participants who completed the entire study with no missing outcome data, excluding all others.
- Copy Reference
- A missing data method, often used after treatment discontinuation, assuming a patient's future outcomes follow the trajectory observed in the reference arm.
I
- Imputation
- A technique replacing missing data values with estimated substitutes, ranging from simple mean substitution to sophisticated multiple imputation approaches.
J
- Jump to Reference
- A missing data method assuming a patient's outcome trajectory immediately shifts to match the reference arm's from the point of treatment discontinuation.
L
- Last Observation Carried Forward
- A missing data method substituting a participant's most recent value for all subsequent missing time points, assuming their condition stayed unchanged.
- Listwise Deletion
- A missing data method excluding any observation with a missing value on any variable in an analysis, using only complete cases.
M
- Missing at Random
- A missing data classification indicating the probability of a value being missing depends on other observed variables, not the missing value itself.
- Missing Completely at Random
- A missing data classification indicating the probability of missingness is entirely unrelated to any observed or unobserved variables, the strongest assumption.
- Missing Data
- Information intended to be collected but absent for some individuals or variables, arising from dropout, non-response, or data entry errors.
- Missing Data Handling
- The overall process of identifying, characterising, and appropriately addressing missing values within a dataset before or during statistical analysis.
- Missing Data Handling Qol
- The statistical methods used to address incomplete responses in quality of life questionnaires, which commonly arise from patient dropout or survey fatigue.
- Missing Data Methods
- Statistical techniques, from simple complete case analysis to multiple imputation, used to address incomplete data, chosen based on the likely missingness mechanism.
- Missing Not at Random
- A missing data classification indicating the probability of missingness depends on the unobserved value itself, even after accounting for other variables.
- Multiple Imputation
- A missing data technique generating several plausible complete datasets with different estimated replacement values, then combining separate analyses of each.
P
- Pairwise Deletion
- A missing data method in which each specific calculation uses all observations with complete data for that particular pair of variables.
- Pattern Mixture Model
- A missing data modelling approach stratifying analysis by the observed pattern of missingness, rather than assuming one model applies to everyone.
R
- Return to Baseline
- A missing data method assuming a patient's outcome trajectory reverts to their original pre-treatment level from the point of discontinuation.
S
- Selection Model
- A missing data modelling approach explicitly modelling the process by which observations become missing, alongside the model for the outcome itself.
- Sensitivity Analysis for Missing Data
- Techniques assessing how much a study's conclusions might change under different, less favourable assumptions about missing data values.
- Single Imputation
- A missing data method replacing each missing value with a single estimated substitute, unlike multiple imputation, which generates several plausible values.
T
- Tipping Point Analysis
- A missing data sensitivity technique searching for the specific departure from a standard assumption that would be needed to overturn a study's conclusion.