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Statistical Review Refutes Studies Used as Basis of IDSA Guidelines
Allison DeLongA just published statistical review in Contemporary Clinical Trials, August 19, 2012, has cast doubt on the NIH funded studies which have been used as a basis for Lyme disease guidelines most often used by treating physicians for diagnosis and treatment and by insurers to determine reimbursement, i.e. Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guidelines. The review by Brown statistician, Allison DeLong, and co-authors has reported “flaws in design, analysis, and interpretation that call into question the strength of the evidence against retreatment.” (see Brown release) The most detrimental of those studies to patients has been Klempner et al, which has been shown in this review to have significant statistical issues.
Ms. DeLong is an LDA Scientific and Professional Advisory Board Member. Other authors are statistics graduate Barbara Blossom, Dr. Elizabeth Maloney, and Dr. Steven Phillips.
Visit below link for Brown Press Release on the study:
https://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2012/08/lyme
Click here for short analysis done by Ms. DeLong in 2009 for LDA Analysis: Why Klempner Study is Not Useful to Rule Out Benefits of Long-Term Treatment.