eprintid: 22836
rev_number: 12
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1589
dir: disk0/00/02/28/36
datestamp: 2017-04-26 08:42:14
lastmod: 2024-03-09 20:19:12
status_changed: 2017-04-26 08:42:14
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Becher, Heiko
creators_name: Winkler, Volker
title: Estimating the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) with incomplete follow-up data
subjects: ddc-610
divisions: i-912800
abstract: Background: A standard parameter to compare the disease incidence of a cohort relative to the population is the standardized incidence ratio (SIR). For statistical inference is commonly assumed that the denominator, the expected number of cases, is fixed. If a disease registry is available, incident cases can sometimes be identified by linkage with the registry, however, registries may not contain information on migration or death from other causes. A complete follow-up with a population registry may not be possible. In that case, end-of-follow-up date and therefore, exact person-years of observation are unknown.   Methods: We have developed a method to estimate the observation times and to derive the expected number of cases using population data on mortality and migration rates. We investigate the impact of the underlying assumptions with a sensitivity analysis.   Results: The method provides a useful estimate of the SIR. We illustrate the method with a numerical example, a simulation study and with a study on standardized cancer incidence ratios in a cohort of migrants relative to the German population. We show that the additional variance induced by the estimation method is small, so that standard methods for inference can be applied.   Conclusions: Estimation of the observation time is possible for cohort studies with incomplete follow-up.
date: 2017
publisher: BioMed Central; Springer
id_scheme: DOI
ppn_swb: 1657834042
own_urn: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-228363
language: eng
bibsort: BECHERHEIKESTIMATING2017
full_text_status: public
publication: BMC Medical Research Methodology
volume: 17
number: 55
place_of_pub: London; Berlin; Heidelberg
pagerange: 1-10
issn: 1471-2288
citation:   Becher, Heiko ; Winkler, Volker  (2017) Estimating the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) with incomplete follow-up data.  BMC Medical Research Methodology, 17 (55).  pp. 1-10.  ISSN 1471-2288     
document_url: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/22836/1/12874_2017_Article_335.pdf