title: Best Practices for Biostatistical Consultation and Collaboration in Academic Health Centers.
abstract: Given the increasing level and scope of biostatistics expertise needed at academic health centers today, we developed best practices guidelines for biostatistics units to be more effective in providing biostatistical support to their institutions, and in fostering an environment in which unit members can thrive professionally. Our recommendations focus on the key areas of: 1) funding sources and mechanisms; 2) providing and prioritizing access to biostatistical resources; and 3) interacting with investigators. We recommend that the leadership of biostatistics units negotiate for sufficient long-term infrastructure support to ensure stability and continuity of funding for personnel, align project budgets closely with actual level of biostatistical effort, devise and consistently apply strategies for prioritizing and tracking effort on studies, and clearly stipulate with investigators prior to project initiation policies regarding funding, lead time, and authorship.
authors: Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University, School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors: Susan M
authors: SM
authors: Perkins
authors: Division of Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Bacchetti
authors: Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors: Cynthia S
authors: CS
authors: Davey
authors: Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Lindsell
authors: Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; formerly at Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Madhu
authors: M
authors: Mazumdar
authors: Division of Preventative Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Oster
authors: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors: Peter N
authors: PN
authors: Peduzzi
authors: Division of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Rocke
authors: Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors: Kyle D
authors: KD
authors: Rudser
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors: Mimi
authors: M
authors: Kim
keywords: biostatistics; collaboration; consultation; funding; prioritization