R for trial and model-based cost-effectiveness analysis

We are pleased to announce the opening of registration for our online R for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) showcase taking place as two half-day remote workshops, on the following dates and times:

On both days, speakers from academia, government, industry, and consulting will give demonstrations of their R code solving specific challenges in HTA, ranging from patient level simulation and infectious disease modelling to propensity score weighting and expert elicitation.

To close the event on 12th October, there will be a panel discussion on the value and challenges of using R in HTA, with Francois Maignen (NICE), Andrew Briggs (LSHTM), Liz Fenwick (Pharmerit), and Venediktos Kapetanakis (Evidera).

Full programmes and registration links are as below (click on the blue box to show the full content for each day). Registration is free, but there is a limited number of places to join the webinars. Waiting lists will be created once the maximum number of participants have been reached and we will notify people accordingly. Instructions and links to join the webinars will be provided by email.

Part 1: 9 October 2020, 1pm-4.35pm BST

Day 1. Programme

13:00-13:10. Howard Thom, University of Bristol: Welcome.
13:10-13:40. Joe Moss, York Health Economics Consortium: An introduction to programming a patient level simulation (PLS) in R
13:40-14:05. Kevin Deighton, DeltaHat: Propensity scores in R. Managing multiple scenario analyses in a single clean script
14:05-14:20. Break
14:20-14:45. Josephine Walker, University of Bristol: Using R for cost-effectiveness analysis of Hepatitis C screening and treatment interventions in low and middle-income countries
14:45-15:10. Devin Incerti, Genentech Inc: Multistate Semi-Markov modelling in R
15:10-15:25. Iryna Schlackow, University of Oxford: The Tidyverse style guide
15:25-15:40. Break
15:40-16:05. Mi Jun Keng, University of Oxford: Optimizing a Markov model using apply, parallel computing, and Rcpp
16:05-16:30. Seamus Kent, University of Oxford: Generating evidence for HTA using the OMOP common data model and standardised analytical tools
16:30-16:35. Gianluca Baio, UCL: Closing remarks.


NB: THIS WORKSHOP AND THE WAITING LIST ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED. We have reached the maximum number of participants we can cater for and the waiting list now also exceeds the number of places that can be reasonably expected to become available. Thus, registration is now close.

Part 2: 12 October 2020, 9am-1pm BST

Day 2. Programme

9:00-9:10. Howard Thom, University of Bristol: Welcome.
9:10-9:35. Sam Abbott, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine: The SpeedyMarkov package. A highly optimized package for cohort Markov models in R
9:35-10:00. Yiqiao Xin, University of Glasgow: From spreadsheets to script: converting the Scottish cardiovascular disease policy model into R
10:00-10:15. Break
10:15-10:40. Philip Cooney. Novartis Pharma: Incorporating clinical opinion into survival extrapolations with visualisations through RShiny
10:40-11:05. Felicity Lamrock, Queen’s University Belfast: A novel approach to calculating confidence intervals for transition probabilities between health states in a cost-effectiveness model when using the R package MSM
11:05-11:20. Break
11:20-12:40. Panel Discussion
Opening remarks by all speakers will be followed by discussion and audience participation. Speakers include representatives from academia, government, industry, and consulting.

  • Francois Maignen. Principal Scientific Adviser at National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
  • Venediktos Kapetanakis. Principal Statistician at Evidera
  • Liz Fenwick. Senior Director at Pharmerit
  • Andy Briggs. Professor of Health Economics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

12:40-13:00. Gianluca Baio, UCL: Closing statements.


NB: THIS WORKSHOP AND THE WAITING LIST ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED. We have reached the maximum number of participants we can cater for and the waiting list now also exceeds the number of places that can be reasonably expected to become available. Thus, registration is now close.

Code of conduct

As we’re experiencing a whole new season of human interaction, we thought we’d lay out some principles of civil behaviour that we ask you all to abide by. To avoid issues with privacy, while the workshops will be recorded, participants will be muted. There will be the possibility of asking questions and making comments through the Zoom chat and we’ll be happy to relay them to the speakers.

Please be kind and considerate when asking questions — we are working really hard to adapt to the new normal and we know something may not work perfectly!

Upon agreement with them, slides will also be made available and the recordings will be posted on our website — after consent is obtained by the speakers.

Gianluca Baio
Gianluca Baio
Professor of Statistics and Health Economics