Statistical Computing

Following data entry and validation, statistical analyses are performed on platforms ranging from a Hewlett Packard 9000/870 mainframe running HP-UX (Unix) to Macintoshes and PCs running Windows. The Statistics Advice Centre has a range of statistics software packages at its disposal, ranging from simple epidemiological and graphical products, such as Excel, Epi-Info, CricketGraph and StatView, through to sophisticated statistical packages, such as SAS, SPSS and Minitab. SAS is the product of choice for most projects, with its broad catalogue of statistical procedures and excellent graphical capabilities. Together with its Applications Facility for constructing menu-driven screens, which can be tailored to the requirements of the client, these provide the most suitable and user-friendly working environment. The Statistics Advice Centre also has experience with statistical products such as GLIM, SPLUS, GENSTAT, XLISP-STAT and FORTRAN with NAG routines, and can thus usually accommodate a client's specific software requirements.

Organisations that have made use of our statistical computing service have included pharmaceutical companies, medical research institutes and government agencies.

Recent examples of computing projects

1. A clinical trial to compare the efficacy of 2 wound dressings: The British subsidiary of a large American pharmaceutical corporation required a comprehensive statistical report on a clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of 2 different types of wound dressing in the treatment of leg ulcers. Data entry, data validation, and statistical analyses, including graphical displays, were performed. [Software/hardware configuration : SAS on the mainframe, Excel on the PC]
2. Construction of a push button statistical reporting system was developed to handle efficiently the most common types of analyses required. [Software/hardware configuration : SAS/Windows on the PC]
3. Simultaneous interrogation of five downloaded data sets: A major research project was undertaken to assess the workload at clinics for sexually transmitted diseases in the light of the AIDS epidemic. A large and complex database was downloaded from a major London clinic's patient administration system. After intensive statistical analysis the most accurate marker of the clinic's increasing workload was identified. The results were published in an appropriate medical journal. [Software/hardware configuration : SPSS on the mainframe, Cricketgraph on the Macintosh.]