Assessing exchangeability in indirect and mixed treatment comparisons

ssessing exchangeability in indirect and mixed treatment comparisons Methodology (2559) Total Article Views Authors: Alemayehu D Published Date June 2011 Volume 2011:1 Pages 51 - 55 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/CER.S21307 Demissie Alemayehu Pfizer, Inc, Statistics Department, New York, USA Abstract: In comparative effectiveness research (CER), investigators often resort to methods of indirect and mixed treatment comparisons, due to the unavailability of head-to-head comparative data from randomized clinical trials for competing treatment options. However, implicit in the available indirect comparison techniques is an assumption of exchangeability, which in practice cannot be conclusively verified. This paper discusses the implications of violations of this assumption, and describes approaches to evaluate its validity and steps that may be taken to minimize the impact on conclusions drawn from such studies.