Science - Course - Non Parametric Methods

The course gives an introduction to non-parametric statistics, starting with a repetition of the difference between the mean and the median and the influence of having data with a skewed distribution. Typical examples of such data within health economics are costs of stay or the length of stay. The course also covers simple non-parametric tests for comparing groups of observations. Methods such as the bootstrap for constructing confidence intervals in the case of skewed data is also covered. Alternative regression methods such as log-linear regression, gamma and negative binomial regression models will be discussed. Computer exercises are used throughout the course. Pre-requisite: STAT 301.