Naive hypothesis testing for case series analysis with time-varying exposure onset measurement error: inference for infection-cardiovascular risk in patients on dialysis.

ABSTRACT: The case series method is useful in studying the relationship between time-varying exposures, such as infections, and acute events observed during the observation periods of individuals. It provides estimates of the relative incidences of events in risk periods (e.g., 30-day period after infections) relative to the baseline periods. When the times of exposure onsets are not known precisely, application of the case series model ignoring exposure onset measurement error leads to biased estimates. Bias-correction is necessary in order to understand the true directions and effect sizes associated with exposure risk periods, although uncorrected estimators have smaller variance. Thus, inference via hypothesis testing based on uncorrected test statistics, if valid, is potentially more powerful.

SUBMITTER: Mohammed SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4118679 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature