Spreadsheet method for determining sample sizes for heart valve studies.

Abstract

Grunkemeier, Johnson, and Naftel have given a method for computing sample size requirements for a clinical study of a new heart valve. This paper gives an implementation of the method on a computer spreadsheet. Moreover, it computes the sample size for the most powerful test with exactly the prescribed level of significance and power; all other tests will necessarily have smaller power and will need larger sample sizes. All graphs and tables are produced on the spreadsheet, and no use of special statistical functions is necessary.