A tool for empirical equipoise assessment in multigroup comparative effectiveness research.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

In observational research, equipoise concerns whether groups being compared are similar enough for valid inference. Empirical equipoise was previously proposed as a tool to assess patient similarity based on propensity scores (PS). We extended this work for multigroup observational studies.

Methods

We modified the tool to allow for multinomial exposures such that the proposed definition reduces to the original when there are only two groups. We illustrated how the tool can be used as a method to assess study design within three-group clinical examples. We then conducted three-group simulations to assess how the tool performed in a setting with residual confounding after PS weighting.

Results

In a clinical example based on rheumatoid arthritis, 44.5% of the sam

SUBMITTER: Yoshida K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7057252 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature