Frequently asked questions
Question List (click to jump to that question):
- What is PersonAlytics?
- What medical applications can PersonAlytics be used for?
- What non-medical applications can PersonAlytics be used for?
- What are the benefits of using PersonAlytics?
- Who is the team behind PersonAlytics?
- What is RTI International?
What is PersonAlytics?
PersonAlytics encompasses the methodological work, consultation services, and analytic tools offered at RTI International for conducting within-subject clinical trials (WCSTs) and idiographic clinical trials (ICTs). PaCCT is a menu-driven statistical program to simplify analysis for researchers to conduct rigorous small sample size trials or researchers wanting evidence-based, individualized treatment specifically for his/her patient. Time series data (many observations over short time periods such as weekly, daily, or shorter intervals such as with biosensors) provide rich study information that cannot be acquired using traditional RCT approaches. Yet, rigorous analysis of time series data requires innovative statistical methods such as multilevel modeling or state-space modeling. PersonAlytics guides users through the analytic process using non-statistical terms, to avail ICT methods to researchers who are unfamiliar with its statistical approaches for small or N = 1 samples.
Some of the clinical studies that have employed these methods include an evaluation of converting liver- or kidney-transplant patients from branded to generic tacrolimus; comparison among sedation mediations used during intensive care; and pilot testing an individually-tailored “manual pancreas” to manage blood glucose levels in nursing home patients with diabetes.
What medical applications can PersonAlytics be used for?
PersonAlytics can be used for data analysis for testing treatments related to:
- rare diseases and other small populations
- early phases of treatment development
- when patients cannot be randomized
- when data are to be collected during normal clinical services
- when data must be collected "in the field"
- intensive study of the mechanisms of treatment outcomes
- heterogeneity in treatment responses
- limited budgets
- for newly evolving / spreading disease
Read previous studies that employed WSCT / ICT methods here.
What non-medical applications can PersonAlytics be used for?
PersonAlytics can be used for data analysis for testing treatments:
- for studies of small samples
- when test subjects cannot be randomized at reasonable cost
- when data are to be collected in situ
- when analyzing pilot test data
- for program evaluations with fewer than 30 sites
What are the benefits of using PersonAlytics?
- Supports very small sample size (1 to 100) trials
- Each participant receives the experimental treatment and can be provided with individualized outcomes
- Efficacy report giving participants strong incentive to complete trials
- Short timelines
- Analytics to investigate mechanisms of outcomes as treatment is administered
- Studies can be conducted during usual clinical services
- Analysis provides detailed quantification of heterogeneity in outcomes
- Applicable across most types of treatment studies [e.g., medical, social science]
- User interface is intuitive and customizable to each user’s needs and data patterns
- Many of the more complex statistical decisions are automated and data-driven
Who is the team behind PersonAlytics?
Read more about our team on our "Who we are" page.
What is RTI International?
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research organization. Our mission is to improve the human condition by turning knowledge into practice, and our researchers live this mission every day.