Invited Speaker Australian and New Zealand Stroke Organisation Conference 2025

Improving access to the win ratio by developing a clinician-accessible, one-stop-shop tool for sample size estimation and analysis (122845)

Hannah Johns 1 2 , Nathalie Launder 1 , Vignan Yogendrakumar 1 3 , Kate Hayward 4 , Bruce Campbell 5 , Leonid Churilov 1 2
  1. Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  2. Australian Stroke Alliance, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. The Ottowa Hosptial, University of Ottowa, Ottowa, Ontario, Canada
  4. Departments of Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  5. Department of Neurology & Melbourne Brain Centre @ RMH, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Win Ratio has recently been proposed as a method to better represent multiple outcome facets simultaneously in stroke trials. While the approach is intuitive, assumption-free and explainable at the patient bedside, adoption of the method in stroke research remains challenging due to a lack of clinician-accessible software for sample size estimation and analysis. 

METHODS: We developed COMPARE WINS (Comparison Of Multifaceted Preferences As Research Endpoints using WIN Statistics), an open-source, point-and-click software tool supporting the use of the Win Ratio by stroke researchers. We assessed ease of use through feedback sessions with clinician-researchers that have no formal statistical training.

RESULTS: Five feedback sessions were held with 10 participants (mixed neurologists and allied health researchers). Participants unanimously understood the statistical concepts and unanimously agreed that COMPARE WINS was useful. COMPARE WINS provides an intuitive point-and-click interface to advanced statistical packages conventionally aimed at statisticians. It combines sample size estimation, statistical analysis and comprehensive statistical guidance into a single place for stroke researchers seeking to use the Win Ratio.

CONCLUSION: COMPARE WINS provides an intuitive and clinician-accessible interface to the Win Ratio and includes tools for sample size estimation and analysis. It facilitates the expanded use of the Win Ratio in stroke research. COMPARE WINS is publicly available and free for download now.