Retrospective Studies
ICON LSG has extensive experience analyzing retrospective data including medical, pharmaceutical, and eligibility data from administrative claims databases and public use files. Studies using retrospective data allow for a quick and inexpensive assessment of real-world treatment patterns, measurement of clinical outcomes, and evaluation of healthcare utilization. Specifically, retrospective database analyses are used to quantify the burden and cost of a disease, evaluate patterns of care, compare the performance of marketed products, and explore market opportunities for targeting a new product.
Furthermore, as part of the post-marketing regulatory commitment work, retrospective database analyses are used to supplement the findings from randomized clinical trials on the safety and effectiveness of marketed products. Such analyses are becoming increasingly important and emphasize the need for comparative effectiveness research. However, unlike studies that are based on experimental designs, retrospective database analyses present a number of unique statistical challenges. These challenges, if not addressed appropriately, can limit the usefulness of findings from retrospective database analyses. ICON LSG has extensive experience conducting retrospective database analyses and implementing specialized methodology to address their statistical challenges.
In addition ICONLSG has built and maintained a number of database applications using both Oracle and Microsoft platforms. We currently manage hundreds of clinical databases built with Oracle and other technologies. Moreover, these databases are frequently integrated with lab data, interactive voice survey data, and administrative data.
