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Comparison of receiver operating characteristic curves on the basis of optimal operating points
E J Halpern1, M Albert, A M Krieger
1Department of Radiology, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5244, USA.
Rationale And Objectives:
We developed a method of comparing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves on the basis of the utilities associated with their optimal operating points (OOPs).
Methods:
OOPs were computed for paired ROC curves on the basis of isocost lines in ROC space with slopes ranging from 0.1 to 3.0. For each pair of OOPs corresponding to a single isocost slope, the difference in costs and the variance of this difference was computed. A sensitivity analysis was thus obtained for the difference between the two curves over a range of isocost slopes. Three published data sets were evaluated using this technique, as well as by comparisons of areas under the curves and of true-positive fractions at fixed false-positive fractions.
Results:
The OOPs of paired ROC curves often occur at different false-positive fractions. Comparisons of ROC curves on the basis of OOPs may provide results that differ from comparisons of curves at a fixed false-positive fraction.
Conclusion:
ROC curves may be compared on the basis of utilities associated with their OOPs. This comparison of the optimal performance of two diagnostic tests may differ from conventional statistical comparisons.