PakMediNet Discussion Forum : Biostatistics : Free software
Free software
Two free software for interested practitioners: (i) CONFINT15 and (ii) BP1CI
Anwer
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CONFINT15
DESCRIPTION
This program performs calculations of the probability that a specified
one-group study (specification includes sample size) will produce a
confidence interval (CI) of at most a particular length. It also
calculates the sample size necessary to achieve a desired such
probability.
CONFINT15 will perform calculations for
One-sample binomial
One-sample Poisson
Mean of the One-Sample Normal
SD of the One-Sample Normal
Hazard of One-Sample Exponential Survival Distribution
Mean survival of the One-Sample Sirvival Distribution
HOW TO GET IT
The program is free (no charge, Fortran 95 source included) and is
available
from the following URL. The distribution includes source,
documentation,
a Win32 executable and a MAC executable.
http://biostatistics.mdanderson.org/SoftwareDownload
WHAT'S NEW?
This is an update which now includes the survival calculations and the
standard deviation of the normal distribution.
EXAMPLE:
The true probability of an event is 0.5. We want a study large enough
that the probability that a 95% confidence interval (via
Clopper-Pearson) has length at most 0.1 is 80%. What sample size is
required?
Answer: 403
COMMENT: I recently announced BP1CI. This is a totally different
program. BP1CI is used to obtain a CI when the data is at hand.
CONFINT15 is used to plan a study (particularly the sample size) and
there no data is involved in its use.
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DESCRIPTION
BP1CI (Binomial Poisson 1-sample Confidence Intervals) calculates
exact confidence limits on the probability of event for the one-sample
binomial distribution or on the total number of events for the
one-sample Poisson distribution using the Clopper-Pearson method.
HOW TO GET IT
The program is free (no charge, Fortran 95 source included) and is
available
from the following URL. The distribution includes source,
documentation,
a Win32 executable and a MAC executable.
http://biostatistics.mdanderson.org/SoftwareDownload
WHAT'S NEW?
This is an update which improves the user interface. The program
still
runs only at the command line -- no gui, sorry.
EXAMPLES:
What is the 95% Clopper-Pearson confidence interval when 3 out of 20
trials yield an event?
Answer: [0.0321,0.3789]
What is the 95% CI on the Poisson mean, when a Poisson process yields
100 events?
Answer: [82.266,121.63]
COMMENT:
On one of the groups to which this was posted, it was asked whether
there is a formula for the Clopper-Pearson CI. The answer is yes, but
it involves the inverse of the F distribution (for the binomial) or
the chi-square (for the Poisson) and so is not usually terribly
useful. BP1CI computes these inverses.
Posted by: anwer_khurPosts: 30 :: 25-06-2008 :: | Reply to this Message
Re: Free software
For sample size calculations, two free softwares that I have found very helpful are
1. PS - which can be obtained at from the following address:
http://biostat.mc.vanderbilt.edu/twiki/bin/view/Main/PowerSampleSize
2. G*Power3 - which can be downloaded from the following site:
http://www.psycho.uni-duesseldorf.de/abteilungen/aap/gpower3/
Posted by: rqayyumPosts: 199 :: 04-07-2008 :: | Reply to this Message