Propensity score analysis using the freely available user-friendly software EZR (Easy R).

Area of Science:

• Medical Statistics
• Biostatistics
• Statistical Software

Background:

• Easy R (EZR) is a widely used, free statistical software package built on R and R Commander.
• It provides a graphical user interface for various statistical analyses, including survival analysis, ROC analysis, meta-analysis, and sample size calculations.
• A previous report on EZR has been highly cited, indicating its importance in the research community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the procedures for performing propensity score (PS) analysis using EZR.
• To detail methods such as PS matching and inverse probability weighting within the EZR framework.
• To compare the performance of PS analysis methods with conventional multivariate analyses.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the Easy R (EZR) software package for statistical analysis.
• Implementing propensity score (PS) matching techniques.
• Applying inverse probability weighting (IPW) methods for causal inference.
• Performing conventional multivariate statistical analyses for comparison.

Main Results:

• The study details the step-by-step implementation of propensity score analysis in EZR.
• Comparisons are made between PS-based methods and traditional multivariate approaches.
• The findings highlight the utility of EZR for advanced statistical modeling in medical research.

Conclusions:

• Easy R (EZR) provides a user-friendly platform for conducting advanced statistical analyses, including propensity score methods.
• The software facilitates the comparison of propensity score matching and inverse probability weighting against conventional methods.
• EZR is a valuable tool for researchers needing to perform complex statistical analyses in medical research.