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Evaluating Whether a Binary Decision Rule Operates Better Than Chance
Author(s) -
Parker Robert A.,
Davis Roger B.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
biometrical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.108
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-4036
pISSN - 0323-3847
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-4036(199903)41:1<25::aid-bimj25>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - receiver operating characteristic , statistics , contrast (vision) , confidence interval , test (biology) , mathematics , binary number , sensitivity (control systems) , interval (graph theory) , computer science , artificial intelligence , arithmetic , paleontology , combinatorics , electronic engineering , engineering , biology
We provide an approach to testing whether the accuracy of a binary diagnostic test, which we define as the sum of sensitivity and specificity, is significantly better than chance. We derive an exact confidence interval of size at least 1 — α for the observed accuracy of the test. In addition, we develop tests to compare the accuracy of two such tests applied to the same subjects. These results offer a method for assessing the accuracy of a test at a single test criterion, in contrast to the standard approach of evaluating the total receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve for a test.