Analysis Group, Inc. (AG), founded in 1981 by economists Bruce E. Stangle and Michael F. Koehn, is an economic consulting firm based in North America. The firm provides economic, financial, and strategic analysis and expert testimony to law firms, corporations, and government agencies.Analysis Group employs more than 1,000 professionals, most of whom have advanced degrees in economics, law, finance, accounting, or business. The firm has been named as a best place to work by the Boston Globe, Vault.com, and Glassdoor.com. Analysis Group has consistently appeared in the Boston Globe's "Top Places to Work" in Massachusetts rankings for the past ten years, and was ranked first overall in the large company category in 2012 and 2013. Analysis Group has also been named a "Vault Consulting 50" firm and was honored with a 2015 Employees' Choice Award in the small and medium business category of Glassdoor's national "Best Places to Work" listing. In 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Analysis Group was named to the annual Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts listing by the Commonwealth Institute and Boston Globe Magazine. Analysis Group has also been recognized among the leading Global Economics Consultancies by Global Competition Review.The CEO and Chairwoman of Analysis Group is Martha S. Samuelson. She was elected to the International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers and Economists (2012) and Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers/Economists (2012). Samuelson wrote about the importance of thoughtful decision making and meaningful work in a 2015 article published in Harvard Business Review. She also participated in a 2011 executive roundtable discussion on finding and retaining talented people, published as part of the Boston Globe "Top Places to Work" feature, and discussed how the organization fosters leadership, accountability, and mentoring relationships in a 2010 interview with the New York Times. However, the work of the firm is not without controversy. Analysis Group and other economic consulting firms have been criticized for their cozy relationship with top academics and their defense of a number of companies at the heart of the 2007-08 financial crisis.
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) systems are increasingly used by organizations to deliver information to consumers, patients, students, employees, and citizens. These systems can hallucinate, producing plausible but inaccurate responses. A central question for AI-advised decisions is therefore not only whether users rely on inaccurate information, but whether they recognize that a response may require verification. To answer this question, we review emerging empirical evidence relevant to hallucination detection in goal-directed interactions, with a focus on organization-backed AI advisors. We distinguish three constructs that existing studies often conflate: whether users are skeptical of information presented, whether they verify it (distinguishing attempted from successful verification), and whether the result of verification affects reliance on the information. Across studies examining product search, medical decision-making, content generation, and chatbot-assisted tasks, several patterns emerge. Nearly all studies measure reliance, while variables such as user skepticism and verification of the information are more often targeted by an intervention than measured directly. The cues used to prompt scrutiny of the AI response are predominantly related to the AI output, such as source citations. Whereas general warnings about the risk of hallucinations are among the most deployable interventions for organizations, they show the weakest and most mixed effects in the studies reviewed. More targeted cues about where AI systems tend to fail appear promising, however evidence remains limited. Although the existing literature posits that users may be more likely to scrutinize responses related to particular areas of content, no studies varied the content category, leaving this question open for further research. In future research, measuring skepticism and verification separately from reliance may clarify what current evidence shows, what it only implies, and which questions require further exploration.
C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is a rare complement-mediated kidney disease. Pegcetacoplan [targeted complement 3 (C3)/C3b inhibitor] and iptacopan (factor B inhibitor) target the complement system and are approved for treatment of C3G in adults and adolescents (pegcetacoplan) or adults only (iptacopan). Currently, no head-to-head randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed their relative efficacy. Indirect treatment comparisons (ITCs) were conducted using the Bucher (primary analysis—preserves randomization) and matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC; supportive analyses—adjusts for trial differences) methodologies and data from two similarly designed, placebo-controlled, Phase III RCTs in C3G/primary immune-complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis [VALIANT (NCT05067127)] and C3G only [APPEAR-C3G (NCT04817618)]. Relative efficacy was assessed at 6 months (anchored Bucher and MAIC) and 12 months (anchored Bucher/MAIC plus unanchored MAIC). At 6 months, the Bucher analysis demonstrated pegcetacoplan was associated with a significantly greater reduction in urine protein–creatinine ratio (UPCR) relative to baseline versus iptacopan [mean difference −50.90
Abstract Introduction Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a skin disorder for which short-course systemic corticosteroids are recommended only as rescue medication during acute exacerbations. Here, we describe real-world corticosteroid use, adverse events (AEs) occurring post-corticosteroid initiation, and health care resource utilization (HCRU) of patients with CSU in the USA. Methods This retrospective cohort study used data from the US HealthVerity claims database of adults with diagnosed CSU (January 2016–March 2023). Only prescription and non-antihistamine claims were included in the analysis of treatment patterns. In the AE and HCRU analyses, patients were stratified into five cohorts on the basis of total days of systemic corticosteroid supply as a proxy for duration of use: ≤ 31 days, > 31 to ≤ 60 days, > 60 days, ≥ 90 days (subcohort of > 60 days), and non-corticosteroid users. Results Of 200,298 patients, corticosteroids were the most prescribed treatment (78.3% all; 68.2% systemic) following CSU diagnosis, excluding over-the-counter medication and antihistamines. The ten most common AEs occurring after systemic corticosteroid initiation (hypertension, lipid disorders, anxiety, obesity, fatigue, depression, diabetes, insomnia, cataracts, and gastritis) occurred in higher proportions of all corticosteroid user types versus non-users. The proportion of patients experiencing AEs generally increased with longer duration of corticosteroid use. More frequent HCRU was generally observed after the first systemic corticosteroid prescription and with increasing duration of corticosteroid use. Conclusions Patients with CSU who were prescribed corticosteroids reported a higher proportion of AEs and more frequent HCRU than those who were not. These trends in AEs and HCRU were more prominent with increasing duration of corticosteroid use.
Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) is a recommended maintenance treatment option for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) and could offer greater patient convenience than intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). We evaluated the burden of CIDP and assessed the value that patients with CIDP, caregivers, and physicians place on various attributes of SCIG treatment options. This was an online discrete choice experiment survey designed through targeted literature review and patient/caregiver/physician interviews, conducted in Germany, the UK, and the USA. The survey was administered to adults with CIDP who were stable on IVIG and/or receiving SCIG, and caregivers/physicians. Participants chose preferred treatment profiles comprising six SCIG treatment attributes with varying levels: chance of CIDP symptom worsening, treatment frequency, number of sites per infusion, time spent on infusion per month, chance of infusion site reaction, and infusion location. Subgroup analyses were also performed. A conditional logistic regression model estimated preference weight for each attribute. Overall, 146 patients, 52 caregivers, and 81 physicians completed the survey; mean (standard deviation) patient age was 58.1 (12.8) years; time since CIDP diagnosis was 8.8 (9.3) years; 98.6
This study compared real-world overall survival and the risk of physical comorbidities and mental health conditions among patients aged <65 years with versus without inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) in the United States (US). Optum® Electronic Health Record data (January 2014-January 2023) were evaluated for IRD (patients with ≥2 medical visits with an IRD diagnosis; index date: second such medical visit) and non-IRD (patients without an IRD diagnosis; index date: random medical visit) cohorts. Baseline demographics were balanced between cohorts using propensity score matching (2:1). Outcome measures were overall survival (date of death due to any cause) and presence of physical comorbidities and mental health conditions (medical visit with a corresponding diagnosis code). In total, 4594 patients with IRD were matched to 9188 patients without IRD (mean age: 38.7 vs. 38.2 years, 53.9% vs. 55.1% female, mean follow-up: 53.1 vs. 52.8 months). Over 84 months, patients with versus without IRD had a 24% higher risk of death (overall survival: 95.8% vs. 96.7%; hazard ratio: 1.24; 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.53; p = 0.046) and were at significantly higher risk for each evaluated physical comorbidity and mental health condition (all p < 0.05). The development of novel therapies is thus needed to address the clinical burden of IRD.
