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. 2022 Apr;5(4):467-475.
doi: 10.1002/jac5.1591. Epub 2022 Jan 8.

Research and scholarly methods: Propensity scores

Dominique Medaglio  1   2 , Alisa J Stephens-Shields  1   2   3   4 , Charles E Leonard  1   2   3
Affiliations

Research and scholarly methods: Propensity scores

Dominique Medaglio et al. J Am Coll Clin Pharm. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Propensity score methods are increasingly used as a tool to control for confounding bias in pharmacoepidemiologic studies. The propensity score is a dimension reducing balancing score, creating treatment and reference groups that have comparable distributions of measured covariates. The purpose of this methods review is to provide an overview of the use of propensity score methods, including a summary of important data assumptions, various applications of the propensity score, and how to evaluate covariate balance. This article is intended for pharmacists and researchers who wish to receive an introduction to propensity score methods and be able to engage in high-level discussions on application and reporting.

Keywords: Evidence based medicine; Health services research; Pharmacoepidemiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Potential Conflicts of Interest: CEL is an Executive Committee Member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Pharmacoepidemiology Research and Training. The Center receives funding from Pfizer and Sanofi to support trainee education. CEL recently received honoraria from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Foundation and University of Florida, unrelated to the topic of this paper. CEL is a Special Government Employee of the US Food and Drug Administration and currently consults for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA.

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