Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Statistics and Probability Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Statistics and Probability

Nonparametric Methods For Doubly Robust Estimation Of Continuous Treatment Effects, Edward Kennedy, Zongming Ma, Matthew Mchugh, Dylan Small Jun 2015

Nonparametric Methods For Doubly Robust Estimation Of Continuous Treatment Effects, Edward Kennedy, Zongming Ma, Matthew Mchugh, Dylan Small

Edward H. Kennedy

Continuous treatments (e.g., doses) arise often in practice, but available causal effect estimators require either parametric models for the effect curve or else consistent estimation of a single nuisance function. We propose a novel doubly robust kernel smoothing approach, which requires only mild smoothness assumptions on the effect curve and allows for misspecification of either the treatment density or outcome regression. We derive asymptotic properties and also discuss an approach for data-driven bandwidth selection. The methods are illustrated via simulation and in a study of the effect of nurse staffing on hospital readmissions penalties.


Semiparametric Causal Inference In Matched Cohort Studies, Edward Kennedy, Arvid Sjolander, Dylan Small Jun 2015

Semiparametric Causal Inference In Matched Cohort Studies, Edward Kennedy, Arvid Sjolander, Dylan Small

Edward H. Kennedy

Odds ratios can be estimated in case-control studies using standard logistic regression, ignoring the outcome-dependent sampling. In this paper we discuss an analogous result for treatment effects on the treated in matched cohort studies. Specifically, in studies where a sample of treated subjects is observed along with a separate sample of possibly matched controls, we show that efficient and doubly robust estimators of effects on the treated are computationally equivalent to standard estimators, which ignore the matching and exposure-based sampling. This is not the case for general average effects. We also show that matched cohort studies are often more efficient …


Surrogate Markers For Time-Varying Treatments And Outcomes, Jesse Hsu, Edward Kennedy, Jason Roy, Alisa Stephens-Shields, Dylan Small, Marshall Joffe Feb 2015

Surrogate Markers For Time-Varying Treatments And Outcomes, Jesse Hsu, Edward Kennedy, Jason Roy, Alisa Stephens-Shields, Dylan Small, Marshall Joffe

Edward H. Kennedy

A surrogate marker is a variable commonly used in clinical trials to guide treatment decisions when the outcome of ultimate interest is not available. A good surrogate marker is one where the treatment effect on the surrogate is a strong predictor of the effect of treatment on the outcome. We review the situation when there is one treatment delivered at baseline, one surrogate measured at one later time point, and one ultimate outcome of interest and discuss new issues arising when variables are time-varying. Most of the literature on surrogate markers has only considered simple settings with one treatment, one …


Marginal Structural Models: An Application To Incarceration And Marriage During Young Adulthood, Valerio Bacak, Edward Kennedy Jan 2015

Marginal Structural Models: An Application To Incarceration And Marriage During Young Adulthood, Valerio Bacak, Edward Kennedy

Edward H. Kennedy

Advanced methods for panel data analysis are commonly used in research on family life and relationships, but the fundamental issue of simultaneous time-dependent confounding and mediation has received little attention. In this article the authors introduce inverse-probability-weighted estimation of marginal structural models, an approach to causal analysis that (unlike conventional regression modeling) appropriately adjusts for confounding variables on the causal pathway linking the treatment with the outcome. They discuss the need for marginal structural models in social science research and describe their estimation in detail. Substantively, the authors contribute to the ongoing debate on the effects of incarceration on marriage …


Optimal Restricted Estimation For More Efficient Longitudinal Causal Inference, Edward Kennedy, Marshall Joffe, Dylan Small Dec 2014

Optimal Restricted Estimation For More Efficient Longitudinal Causal Inference, Edward Kennedy, Marshall Joffe, Dylan Small

Edward H. Kennedy

Efficient semiparametric estimation of longitudinal causal effects is often analytically or computationally intractable. We propose a novel restricted estimation approach for increasing efficiency, which can be used with other techniques, is straightforward to implement, and requires no additional modeling assumptions.


Semiparametric Theory And Empirical Processes In Causal Inference, Edward Kennedy Dec 2014

Semiparametric Theory And Empirical Processes In Causal Inference, Edward Kennedy

Edward H. Kennedy

In this paper we review important aspects of semiparametric theory and empirical processes that arise in causal inference problems. We begin with a brief introduction to the general problem of causal inference, and go on to discuss estimation and inference for causal effects under semiparametric models, which allow parts of the data-generating process to be unrestricted if they are not of particular interest (i.e., nuisance functions). These models are very useful in causal problems because the outcome process is often complex and difficult to model, and there may only be information available about the treatment process (at best). Semiparametric theory …