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A more flexible parametric estimation of univariate reference intervals: a new method based on the GS-distribution
Javier Trujillano1, José M Muiño, Jaume March
1Grup de Bioestadística i Biomatemàtica, Departament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida, Universitat de Lleida, Montserrat Roig, 2, 25008-Lleida, Spain.
Background:
Reference interval estimation is an important issue in clinical laboratories. Present methods are based either on data transformation or on non-parametric approaches.
Methods:
We present a new technique based in a family of statistical distributions known as GS-distributions that provide a suitable model for continuous unimodal variables. We compare, both by simulation studies an on actual data, the reference intervals estimated by using non-parametric methods and data transformations suggested by the IFCC and those obtained by fitting a GS-distribution. Simulated data are generated from various distributions to evaluate the accuracy of these methods. In each case, confidence intervals for the resulting reference intervals are obtained by bootstrap.
Results:
In all the cases, the GS-distribution based method provides comparable or more accurate results than the non-parametric methods. In most cases, the proposed method produces better results than those obtained by transforming the original data.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that the method for computing reference intervals based on GS-distribution is a valid alternative for the current non-parametric methods.
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