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Compound treatments and transportability of causal inference.
- Source :
- Epidemiology; May2011, Vol. 22 Issue 3, p368-377, 10p
- Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- Ill-defined causal questions present serious problems for observational studies-problems that are largely unappreciated. This paper extends the usual counterfactual framework to consider causal questions about compound treatments for which there are many possible implementations (for example, "prevention of obesity"). We describe the causal effect of compound treatments and their identifiability conditions, with a special emphasis on the consistency condition. We then discuss the challenges of using the estimated effect of a compound treatment in one study population to inform decisions in the same population and in other populations. These challenges arise because the causal effect of compound treatments depends on the distribution of the versions of treatment in the population. Such causal effects can be unpredictable when the versions of treatment are unknown. We discuss how such issues of "transportability" are related to the consistency condition in causal inference. With more carefully framed questions, the results of epidemiologic studies can be of greater value to decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ATTRIBUTION (Social psychology)
CLINICAL trials
COMBINED modality therapy
COMPARATIVE studies
DECISION making
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL research
RESEARCH methodology
MEDICAL cooperation
SCIENTIFIC observation
RESEARCH
RESEARCH funding
EVALUATION research
RESEARCH bias
PATIENT selection
CONFOUNDING variables
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10443983
- Volume :
- 22
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Epidemiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 111235126
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0b013e3182109296