Kenneth Christopher

MD, SM

Harvard Medical School

Associate Physician / Faculty Director for Global Education

NLST (Learn more about this study)

NLST-781

Apr 12, 2021

Clinical Research Education application of the NLST data

The PI proposes to use the NLST dataset within a Harvard Medical School postgraduate course that the PI co-directs on clinical research (https://postgraduateeducation.hms.harvard.edu/certificate-programs/research-programs/foundations-clinical-research). The NLST dataset would be embedded in an interactive web application using the R package Shiny. We propose to develop an R Shiny app based on the existing Shinyfit program (https://github.com/ewenharrison/shinyfit) which would provide the same functionality as our existing Shinyfit based app (https://kenneth-b-christopher.shinyapps.io/shinyfit-master/) which links a teaching dataset to the online Shiny application. Access to the NLST linked R Shiny app will require user authentication and be limited to enrolled HMS postgraduate students. The NLST dataset will not be accessible to students in the R Shiny app other than summary measures (mean, median, etc.) and model estimates (Hazard Ratios, Odds Ratios). There is no way to download the NLST data from the Shiny application. The NLST dataset will not be distributed to students in any form. The PI will be the only person with access to the NLST dataset which will be stored on a desktop hard drive in the PI's locked office at the Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The purpose of using the NLST dataset is for Harvard Medical School postgraduate students to complete an assignment based on designing and implementing an observational clinical research study by creating a research question, developing a null and alternate hypothesis, choosing the regression model, the exposure, the primary outcome and the confounders. The limited summary data output from the application will then be utilized as a basis of an abstract that students will write and present to faculty as course assignments.

If the students wish to formally pursue their project design, it will be their responsibility to register with CDAS website and submit a CDAS Project Proposal to obtain a copy of the NLST data for their use. Neither Kenneth Christopher nor course faculty will be involved in any development of projects beyond the scope of the course assignments or any publications with students using the NLST data.