Speaker

  • Dr Lehana Thabane

    Dr Lehana Thabane

Dr. Lehana Thabane is a Vice President of Research at St Joseph's Healthcare—Hamilton; Scientific Director of the Research Institute at St Joseph's Healthcare; Professor of Biostatistics in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University. His international reputation has led him to be honored by many professional societies: He is an Elected Member of the International Statistical Institute, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Fellow of the American  Statistical Association, Fellow of the Society for Clinical Trials, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and Honorary Foreign Associate Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. He is the Past President of the Society for Clinical  Trials 2022-2023. He is the recipient of the 2022 of the Statistical Society of Canada Award for Impact of Applied and Collaborative Work. He was a recipient of an honorary degree from Stellenbosch University in South Africa in December 2023 for his  contribution to clinical trial methodology. Dr Thabane is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Pilot and Feasibility Studies; and he is a member of the editorial board for many journals including Trials, and BMJ Open. He has co-authored over 1000 peer-reviewed manuscripts leading to significant contributions and transformation of science, healthcare, and delivery of care in many clinical areas. Having mentored over 200 graduate students and junior faculty, Dr Thabane has won several teaching and  mentorship awards for his commitment to building capacity in health research and nurturing the next generation of researchers.

Abstract

Shifting the focus towards education and away from statistical significance:

Revisiting the debate on whether it is time to get rid of statistical significance in pursuit of science

There has been a long-standing controversy among scientists regarding the appropriate use of P-values and statistical significance in clinical research. This debate has resurfaced through recent calls to modify the threshold of P-value required to declare significance, or to retire statistical significance entirely. In this presentation, I revisit the issue by discussing:

  1. the connection between statistical thinking and evidence-based practice;
  2. some history of statistical significance and P-values;
  3. some practical challenges with statistical significance or P-value thresholds in clinical research;
  4. the on-going debate on what to do with statistical significance;
  5. suggestions to shift the focus away from binary thinking of statistical significance and towards education for key stakeholders. I then conclude with remarks and illustrations of the potential deleterious public health consequences of poor

methods including selective choice of analysis approach and misguided reliance on binary use of P-values to report and interpret scientific findings.

Event Flyer

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In-person Venue

Online attendance is possible. The link will be provided after registration.

In-person venue: SAMRC: Cape Town. VC Boardroom, Building A

Francie Van Zijl Drive, Duiker St, Parow Valley, Cape Town, 7501

If you have any questions please contact SASA Events

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