Simulating time-to-event data from parametric distributions, custom distributions, competing risk models and general multi-state models

Abstract

In this paper I describe some substantial extensions to the survsim command for simulating survival data. survsim can now simulate survival data from a parametric distribution, a custom/user-defined distribution, from a fitted merlin model, from a specified cause-specific hazards competing risks model, or from a specified general multi-state model (with multiple timescales). Left truncation (delayed entry) is now also available for all settings. I illustrate the command with some examples, demonstrating the huge flexibility that can be used to better evaluate statistical methods.