title: Commentary: indefensible methods of handling missing data in clinical trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Literature continues to appear using inappropriate statistical methods when dealing with missing data in treatment trials. I regularly see last observation carried forward, assumed worst-case scenario, or some other static imputation method still being submitted and published in journals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We briefly cover a few reasons why the use of more modern and defensible methods may not have completely saturated the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While some delay in complete permeation of appropriate methods is understandable, we are currently past the point for reasonable delay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Editors and reviewers should demand appropriate statistical methods in published literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry , Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Department of Biostatistics , College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation , University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arndt
mesh_terms: D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015982:Bias; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Alcohol Use Disorder; Clinical Trials; Missing Data; Relapse; Treatment