Centre for Statistics in Medicine
Latest news from CSM
Oxford researchers call for an urgent re-evaluation of “weak” opioid safety profile
22 October 2021
A new study associates dispensation doses of tramadol with increased risk of mortality, cardiovascular events, and fractures compared to the use of codeine to treat pain.
COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring should account for age, gender, and database differences
14 June 2021
The largest, most extensive global network study on background rates for adverse events of special interest identifies important age, sex and database differences that should inform future safety surveillance efforts.
3,400 different medicines used globally to treat COVID-19
11 May 2021
Insufficient data, and misleading recommendations led to significant early heterogeneity in global COVID-19 patient management, according to recent BMJ study
Understanding the first wave of COVID-19 and implications for tackling the ongoing pandemic: evidence from 5.5 million people from Catalonia, Spain
3 February 2021
Health outcomes during the first wave of COVID-19 in Catalonia, Spain, have been described in detail in a study published by Nature Communications.
Patients set to benefit from new guidelines on Artificial Intelligence health solutions
10 September 2020
Patients could benefit from a faster and more effective introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) innovations to diagnose and treat disease – thanks to the first international standards for reporting of clinical trials for AI.
Grant towards OHDSI Global Research on COVID-19 treatments
10 August 2020
An international cohort of OHDSI collaborators obtain a grant from the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator to lead an effort to compare the effectiveness of treatments, including corticosteroids such as dexamethasone, under current evaluation for COVID-19 across an international observational data network.
Six-month outcomes after treatment for COVID-19 on intensive care units in England
24 July 2020
Researchers at the University of Oxford are investigating the long-term health outcomes for patients who have been treated for severe COVID-19 disease in intensive care.
Patients with rheumatic pain increasingly turning to opioids
18 June 2020
Reporting at EULAR, researchers found that opioid use by patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal pain was on the rise in Europe.
Could do better: clinical trial reporting fails to live up to the mark
8 June 2020
The statistical analysis and reporting of treatment effects in reports of randomised trials with a binary primary endpoint requires substantial improvement, suggests NDORMS research published in BMC Medicine.
COVID-19 prognosis and prediction models for medical decision-making are flawed, say researchers
7 April 2020
The modelling and approach to tackle the hard medical decisions associated with the spread of the COVID-19 virus may be based on weak and overly-optimistic evidence from studies that are biased and unreliable, suggests research published by The BMJ today.
Oxford-led research describes the safety profile and potential harms of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin
2 April 2020
Over 300 international researchers from the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) community studied data from almost 1 million patients. They declared hydroxychloroquine safe for short-term use, but urge caution in using it in combination with azithromycin.
Sponsored place available for the Randomised Controlled Trials Course
13 February 2020
The inaugural Doug Altman scholarship will be offered to an LMIC (lower-to-middle-income country) applicant or a student.
Flu antiviral has bigger benefits for sicker, older patients
12 December 2019
A Europe-wide study conducted over three flu seasons finds that the antiviral drug, oseltamivir (Tamiflu®), can help people recover from flu-like illness about one-day sooner on average, with older, sicker patients who have been unwell for longer recovering two-to-three days sooner.
NIHR success for NDORMS researchers
5 November 2019
Four investigators based at the Botnar Research Centre, NDORMS have been recently awarded National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) fellowships to further our understanding of a variety of musculoskeletal conditions and develop better methodology to support medical research.
CSM members ICTMC submission success
12 August 2019
YSM prize awarded to CSM Statistician Jamie Stokes
6 August 2019
How do you explain your research to the public?
13 June 2019
... Spend a day at a science festival talking to children! Patricia Logullo talks about her experience at Cheltenham Science Festival.
Mounting evidence that BMI and smoking should not be used for rationing knee and hip replacement
5 June 2019
A new study by researchers at NDORMS, University of Oxford now published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage found that the average lifetime risk of needing further surgery following knee and hip replacement – revision surgery – was around 5% after knee replacement and 8% after hip replacement, with neither body mass index (BMI, combining an individual's height and weight) or smoking having any meaningful effect on these risks.
Shaping medical care through innovative methodology
16 May 2019
The Centre for Statistics in Medicine (CSM) has been awarded £2.5m by Cancer Research UK to advance a programme of work for research on research, developing crucial methodology and key guidelines for excellent medical research.
Early-career researchers praise EQUATOR Publication School
17 April 2019
The latest EQUATOR Publication School, held 11-12 April by the UK EQUATOR Centre at NDORMS, was a resounding success!
New Cochrane review on exercise for prevention of falls in older people
1 February 2019
New research published in the Cochrane Library today provides strong evidence that falls in people over sixty-years old can be prevented by exercise programmes.
Lead Statistician Joins OCTRU/CSM
17 January 2019
OCTRU/CSM have recruited a new lead statistician to join the team.
NDORMS part of large European project on health data and evidence network
22 November 2018
Professor Daniel Prieto-Alhambra of NDORMS will lead a work package on the generation of evidence from European wide observational data as part of a new Innovative Medicines Initiative project, the European Health Data & Evidence Network (EHDEN).
Getting sample sizes right for clinical trials
6 November 2018
New guidance published yesterday by a team led by NDORMS Associate Professor Jonathan Cook will help researchers recruit the right number of people for clinical trials and answer key research questions.
New clinical tool will help patients with acute ankle sprain
6 November 2018
Patients arriving at hospital emergency departments with acute ankle sprains can expect more timely advice and follow-up care in future after researchers in Oxford developed a new tool that will aid clinical decisions on treatment.
Muscle weakness costs the UK £2.5 billion
16 October 2018
UK health and social care costs due to muscle weakness amount to around £2.5 billion according to a new study carried out at the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton.
EQUATOR Network awarded for reducing waste in research
26 September 2018
The EQUATOR Network Education and Training Manager, Caroline Struthers received the Cochrane-REWARD Prize from the hands of Sir Iain Chalmers during the gala dinner of the Cochrane Colloquium in Edinburgh, this Monday 17 September.
NDORMS staff recognised for research and teaching excellence
23 August 2018
Congratulations to our seven researchers who were awarded new titles in the University's 2018 Recognition of Distinction exercise.
NDORMS Professors on the REF2021 assessment team
27 June 2018
Congratulations to Professors Sallie Lamb and Alan Silman on being appointed to serve on assessment sub-panels for the next Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.
Thank you, Doug Altman
5 June 2018
Doug Altman did nothing short of forever changing the fields of statistics and medical research. With that, he touched the lives of thousands, if not millions of people worldwide… a handful more than those who will miss him.
Moderate to high intensity exercise does not slow cognitive decline in people with dementia
16 May 2018
Moderate to high intensity exercise does not slow cognitive (mental) impairment in older people with dementia, finds a trial published by The BMJ today.
NDORMS Apprentice is the Oxfordshire Apprentice of the Year 2018
25 April 2018
Congratulations to Katie Chegwin in the Centre for Statistics in Medicine (CSM) for being awarded the Oxfordshire Apprentice of the Year and Higher Apprentice Awards in the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards 2018.
CSM statisticians recognised at WCO-IOF-ESCEO conference
23 April 2018
Three members of CSM were recognised for the excellence of their epidemiological research into osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal conditions at a conference this weekend.
‘Life support’ for livers may improve transplants
20 April 2018
Preserving livers at body temperature may improve transplant outcomes and increase viable donor liver numbers, thereby lowering waiting list mortality rates, reports a paper published online this week in Nature.
Sharing experiences in best-practice clinical trial design
5 March 2018
CSM statisticians published their experiences in overcoming the challenges of using adaptive designs for early phase clinical trials. These trial designs are more likely to find the right answer than traditional designs.
CSM study protocol tied for winning position at ECCO workshop
15 January 2018
CSM collaborator Sean O’Cathail took CEDAR, an adaptive phase I trial in rectal cancer, to a Europe-wide protocol development workshop in June 2017, where it tied for most innovative protocol.
Showcasing five years of the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit
4 January 2018
The Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit celebrates five years of running and supporting excellent clinical trials that benefit patients and improve healthcare.
Medical statistician wins best presentation at RSS Young Statisticians Meeting
7 August 2017
Usama Ali, medical statistician at the Centre for Statistics in Medicine (CSM) wowed the crowd at the Royal Statistical Society’s (RSS) 2017 Young Statisticians Meeting, winning best presentation for his work preventing falls in hospitals.
Supporting patient safety through best-practice trial design
30 June 2017
UK statisticians and trialists reach out to the clinical trial community in an awareness-raising paper published this week as a first step in changing practice. They promote the use of adaptive designs in early-phase clinical trials to improve trial efficiency, which will benefit patients.
EQUATOR Network honoured by the Council of Science Editors
24 May 2017
We take great pride in announcing that the EQUATOR Network has won the Council for Science Editors’ 2017 Award for Meritorious Achievement.
Celebrating International Clinical Trials Day 2017
19 May 2017
International Clinical Trials Day helps to raise awareness of clinical trials and recognises everyone involved in and affected by trials – researchers, clinicians, statisticians, patient participants, funders and the wider public.
CSM, past and future
8 May 2017
Celebrating 20 years of excellence with Doug Altman and welcoming the future.
Metal-on-metal revision research takes centre-stage at world’s largest orthopaedic conference
15 March 2017
A new study on patient outcomes after metal-on-metal hip replacement revision surgery has been selected as part of a prestigious 'Game Changers' session at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting.
NIHR Fellowships for NDORMS
30 January 2017
Award to M Sanni Ali for work on bone fragility in diabetic patients
11 November 2016
Honours for Professor Sallie Lamb
17 August 2016
NDORMS Professor Sallie Lamb has been elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and been awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Brunel University.
Taking research to the next level with EQUATOR Publication School
8 July 2016
Twenty researchers and clinicians joined the UK EQUATOR Centre for a week-long journey to create well-reported, clear research with an impact beyond academia.
Public policy needs a solid base of impartially reported, well-contextualised statistics
31 May 2016
Sir Andrew Dilnot of the UK Statistics Authority drew gasps and laughs as he exposed internal and media biases with public policy statistics at the Oxford local chapter of the Royal Statistical Society, emphasising the crucial role of statisticians and social scientists in public policy.
Research Integrity and Peer Review Journal launches this week
5 May 2016
Research on ethics, reporting and evaluation of research found a home this week, as BioMed Central launched the new Research Integrity and Peer Review Journal. CSM’s Iveta Simera is one of the founding editors-in-chief.