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Applying the right statistics: analyses of measurement studies
Author(s) -
Bland J. M.,
Altman D. G.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.202
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1469-0705
pISSN - 0960-7692
DOI - 10.1002/uog.122
Subject(s) - statistics , confidence interval , medicine , regression , regression analysis , observer (physics) , plot (graphics) , variable (mathematics) , correlation , econometrics , mathematics , physics , geometry , quantum mechanics , mathematical analysis
The study of measurement error, observer variation and agreement between different methods of measurement are frequent topics in the imaging literature. We describe the problems of some applications of correlation and regression methods to these studies, using recent examples from this literature. We use a simulated example to show how these problems and misinterpretations arise. We describe the 95% limits of agreement approach and a similar, appropriate, regression technique. We discuss the difference vs. mean plot, and the pitfalls of plotting difference against one variable only. We stress that these are questions of estimation, not significance tests, and show how confidence intervals can be found for these estimates. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.