Pooled sampling method under given sensitivity and specificity in improving accuracy of point estimator of population rate / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To use the pooled sampling method to reduce the error caused by the detecting precision, so as to improve the accuracy of population rate estimates. Methods: A formula was deduced on how to obtain the ideal rate under given sensitivity and specificity, and the mean relative errors of rate estimation with different pool sizes were simulated and calculated using software SAS 9.1. Results: When the actual rate was lower than the ideal rate, the errors caused by the detecting precision could be greatly reduced through adjusting the rate of mixed samples. Conclusion: When the population rate is low, the accuracy of rate estimation can be improved and the numbers of tests can be reduced by using pooled sampling method under given specificity and sensitivity.