Biostatistical Service

Study Design Support

• Consultations to discuss your study’s aims and research questions, how these incorporate your outcome variables, target and sample population, confounding variables management, sample size requirements (power analysis), and what contributions might be needed to finalise your study protocol. This may also include review of your data collection instruments.

Statistical Analysis and Reporting Support

• Execution of the analysis plan, including table and figure production and statistical modelling (as relevant), with assistance provided for results interpretation. Reports are produced narrating the work carried out, and assistance is available to finalise the results for inclusion in presentations, manuscripts, or formal reports.

Ethics and Grant Applications Support

• Feedback on clarity of aims and research questions, study design, statistical analysis proposed, power calculations, and budget for biostatistical support.

Data Processing Support

• Documented code to assist with complex variable creation, implementation of data coding rules, joining of multiple data sets, and/or conversion of data set types.

Peer Review Support

• Review and provide tracked changed feedback on manuscripts under submission. Note, we will not always be able to resolve statistical feedback from journal reviewers if we have not been involved in the project design and/or drafting of the originally submitted manuscript.

PhD Support

• Consultation and advice on research project design and analysis.

The criteria below have been developed to ensure the supported research directly relates to the EMHS community, and to support research aligned with the RPH Research Foundation’s strategic objectives.

Projects must meet Staff, Data, and Research Focus eligibility criteria to qualify for support.

Staff Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for support:

1. The Principal Investigator must be a staff member of the EMHS which includes Royal Perth Hospital, Armadale Hospital, Bentley Health Service and Kalamunda Hospital, OR

2. The Supervisor (of an Advanced Trainee or Higher Degree Research student carrying our research) must be a staff member of the EMHS which includes Royal Perth Hospital, Armadale Hospital, Bentley Health Service and Kalamunda Hospital, OR

3. The researcher must be a successful recipient and holder of a current RPH Research Foundation grant, OR

4. The researcher must be an academic resident of the RPH Research Foundation’s Research & Innovation Centre located at 56 Murray St Perth, whose research is tied to EMHS.

Data Eligibility Criteria

Datasets (or planned datasets) must in part or in full include data collected within EMHS which includes Royal Perth Hospital, Armadale Hospital, Bentley Health Service and Kalamunda Hospital. Alternatively, datasets can have national (including WA) coverage or WA state-wide coverage.

Research Focus Eligibility Criteria

Both criteria below must be met, in that the research must

1. Address a gap in the literature that has applicability beyond EMHS, AND

2. Focus on improving patient treatment options and outcomes.

Examples of a focus on improving patient treatment options and outcomes include:

• Gathering evidence of suspected patient disadvantage (poor outcomes) from current clinical practice that may be inadequate, 

• Evaluating the effect of an intervention designed to improve patient outcomes

• Identifying associations between patient outcomes or disease and presenting symptoms/features.

If you are in doubt (for example, student driven research) about whether your project meets the criteria, you are invited to meet with a biostatistician to clarify its eligibility. This consultation is provided in kind.