Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Accounting For Missing Data In End-Of-Life Research, Paula Diehr, Laura Lee Johnson

Paula Diehr

End-of-life studies are likely to have missing data because sicker persons are less likely to provide information and because measurements cannot be made after death. Ignoring missing data may result in data that are too favorable, because the sickest persons are effectively dropped from the analysis. In a comparison of two groups, the group with the most deaths and missing data will tend to have the most favorable data, which is not desirable. Results based on only the available data may not be generalizable to the original study population. If most of the missing data are absent because of death, …