Fernandez, MAL, Schomaker, M, Rachet, B and Schnitzer, ME. 2018. Targeted maximum likelihood estimation for a binary treatment: A tutorial. [Online]. Zenodo. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2560802
Fernandez, MAL, Schomaker, M, Rachet, B and Schnitzer, ME. Targeted maximum likelihood estimation for a binary treatment: A tutorial [Internet]. Zenodo; 2018. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2560802
Fernandez, MAL, Schomaker, M, Rachet, B and Schnitzer, ME (2018). Targeted maximum likelihood estimation for a binary treatment: A tutorial. [Data Collection]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2560802
Description
When estimating the average effect of a binary treatment (or exposure), methods that incorporate propensity scores, the G-formula, or targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) are preferred over naive regression approaches which are biased under misspecification of a parametric outcome model. Contrastingly, propensity score methods require the correct specification of an exposure model. Double-robust methods only require correct specification of one of these models. TMLE is a semi-parametric double-robust method that improves the chances of correct model specification by allowing for flexible estimation using non-parametric machine-learning methods. It therefore requires weaker assumptions than its competitors. We provide a step-by-step guided implementation of TMLE and illustrate it in a realistic scenario based on cancer epidemiology where assumptions about correct model specification and positivity (i.e., when a study participant had zero probability of receiving the treatment) are nearly violated. This article provides a concise and reproducible educational introduction to TMLE for a binary outcome and exposure. The reader should gain sufficient understanding of TMLE from this introductory tutorial to be able to apply the method in practice. Extensive R-code is provided in easy-to-read boxes throughout the article for replicability. Stata users will find a testing implementation of TMLE and additional material in the appendix and at the following GitHub repository: https://github.com/migariane/SIM-TMLE-tutorial
Data capture method | Experiment |
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Date (Date published in a 3rd party system) | 17 April 2018 |
Language(s) of written materials | English |
Data Creators | Fernandez, MAL, Schomaker, M, Rachet, B and Schnitzer, ME |
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LSHTM Faculty/Department | Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health > Dept of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology |
Participating Institutions | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom, The University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada |
Date Deposited | 02 May 2018 16:08 |
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Last Modified | 29 Sep 2021 15:54 |
Publisher | Zenodo |