A Cautionary Note on Using Propensity Score Calibration to Control for Unmeasured Confounding Bias When the Surrogacy Assumption Is Absent.

ABSTRACT: Conventional propensity score methods encounter challenges when unmeasured confounding is present, as it becomes impossible to accurately estimate the gold-standard propensity score when data on certain confounders are unavailable. Propensity score calibration (PSC) addresses this issue by constructing a surrogate for the gold-standard propensity score under the surrogacy assumption. This assumption posits that the error-prone propensity score, based on observed confounders, is independent of the outcome when conditioned on the gold-standard propensity score and the exposure. However, this assumption implies that confounders cannot directly impact the outcome and that their effects on the outcome are solely mediated through the propensity score. This raises concerns regarding the applicabi

SUBMITTER: Wan F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11484665 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature