Shrinkage estimators for a composite measure of quality conceptualized as a formative construct.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To demonstrate the value of shrinkage estimators when calculating a composite quality measure as the weighted average of a set of individual quality indicators.

Data sources

Rates of 28 quality indicators (QIs) calculated from the minimum dataset from residents of 112 Veterans Health Administration nursing homes in fiscal years 2005-2008.

Study design

We compared composite scores calculated from the 28 QIs using both observed rates and shrunken rates derived from a Bayesian multivariate normal-binomial model.

Principal findings

Shrunken-rate composite scores, because they take into account unreliability of estimates from small samples and the correlation among QIs, have more intuitive appeal than observed-rate composite scores. Facilities can be profi

SUBMITTER: Shwartz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3589966 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature