Videos

Videos related to the Target Trials in Mental Health Programme

'Target trial emulation: where are we and where are we going' workshop recordings covering target trial evolution, analysis plans, estimands, and other topics

The 'Target trial emulation: where are we and where are we going' workshop, funded by the NIHR via the Target Trials in Mental Health programme, was held for the first time in Sheffield on 4 June 2026. The day was a great success with a sold-out venue and attendees also joining online. 

With the kind permission of our speakers, we have shared the video recordings below in the order they were delivered on the day.

Please note: Where permission is pending, the presentation title and speaker are still listed for completeness, but without a video link. For full details about the workshop, please visit our main workshop news webpage.

Target Trial Emulation Introduction and Research at the University of Sheffield

1. 'A Brief Overview of Target Trial Emulation Evolution' and 'Target Trials in Mental Health: Keeping up with the Evolution' (30 minutes in total), both presented by Matthew Franklin, University of Sheffield.

2. 'The Sheffield ReCREATE Group: Target trial and benchmarking in cancer' (15 minutes), presented by Nick Latimer, University of Sheffield 

Target Trial Emulation Research Highlights: Accepted Abstract Session
(Each includes a 10-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute Q&A)

3. 'An Evaluation of Virtual Wards on Primary and Secondary Care Activity and Costs', presented by Saima Arif, University of Manchester

4. 'Designing a Target Trial Emulation to Evaluate the Effectiveness of GPS Electronic Monitoring on Recidivism in England and Wales', presented by Nurnabi Sheikh, University of Glasgow

5. 'Estimation of Time-Varying Treatment Effects using Instrumental Variables', presented by Daniel Tompsett, University College London (UCL)

6. 'The Role of Study Designs in TTEs for German Cancer Screening Programmes', presented by Vanessa Didelez, Universität Bremen

7. 'Effect of thiazolidinediones compared to other antidiabetic medications on incident dementia risk in people with type 2 diabetes: a target trial emulation study', presented by Bright Ofoha, University of Manchester

8. 'A Dynamic Update Paradigm for Simulating Datasets for Rich Patient-progression Times', presented by Ching Choy, University College London (UCL)

Debate & Discussion Sessions
(Each includes a 10-minute overview from the Chair, two 15-minute presentations on the topic area, and a 20-minute Q&A)

9. 'Analysis plans for TTE', Chaired by Tim Morris (Novartis) with presentations by Matthew Franklin (University of Sheffield) and Clemence Leyrat (LSHTM)

10. 'Estimands: uses and complications', Chaired by Ruth Keogh (LSHTM) with presentations by Ian White (UCL) and Jonathan Sterne (University of Bristol)

Topic Summary Presentation
(A 30-minute presentation with a 20-minute Q&A)

11. 'Machine Learning and Causal Inference: Role and Use With Applications to Target Trial Emulation', presented by Julia Hatamyar, University of York

Applying the Target Trial framework to routine data: pre-analysis challenges (NIHR Statistics Conference, June 2025)

A recording of the presentation titled "Applying the Target Trial framework to routine data: pre-analysis challenges" delivered at the NIHR Statistics Conference in June 2025 by Matthew Franklin (University of Sheffield, UK), Amy Chang (University of Sheffield, UK), and David Lugo Palacios (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK).

The presentation covers the experiences and challenges of the presenters when applying the Target Trial framework to routinely collected care data, mainly covering mental health (Matthew, NIHR Target Trials in Mental Health programme) and cancer (David, NIHR SORT project; Amy, ReCREATE Group) routine data.

Twelve key areas are discussed: Metadata, Directed Acyclic Graphs, Statistical Analysis Plans, third-party data providers, sample size, benchmarking criteria, use of data extracts vs secure data environments (SDEs), risks for PhD students, pilot analyses, timing to get data, convincing funders, and costs.

Unlocking Data for Public Health Policy and Practice: An Introduction to the Benefits and Nature of Sharing Real-World Data for Public Benefit

This 15 minute recording is intended to provide an introduction to what is meant by key words associated with the use of 'real-world data', such as what is real-world data (with a focus on electronic health records and administrative data), direct care compared to secondary uses of such data, and what public benefits can be achieved from sharing such data. 

The video was recorded during the 'Open Research Conversations' seminar series, and is therefore intended for a general public audience with little to no previous knowledge about real-world data. 

This video is based on the NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) funded Unlocking Data project (NIHR133634).