A new weighted way to measure how well diagnostic tests work
Development of a new weighted ROC (WROC) analysis - Resubmission - 1
This project is creating a new method to measure how accurately cancer imaging and diagnostic tests work so doctors and patients get fairer results from test comparisons.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249998 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, researchers are adding a weight to each case so test comparisons don't get skewed by unbalanced or non-random samples. They will build and share computer algorithms and an easy-to-use online calculator so clinicians and researchers can run the new weighted ROC (WROC) analysis. The team will validate the method across several common ROC models and create three example applications to show how it works in real diagnostic problems. They will also study whether past pivotal test studies might have been biased because of non-random case selection and show how WROC can correct that.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancer who undergo diagnostic imaging or other diagnostic tests, and patients whose doctors or researchers use test performance data to guide care decisions, are most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose care does not rely on diagnostic test performance metrics or who are not undergoing imaging are unlikely to see a direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could give clinicians clearer, less biased measures of how well cancer diagnostic tests detect disease, improving test choice and interpretation.
How similar studies have performed: Standard ROC methods are widely used and reliable, but applying case weights is a newer, less-tested approach that builds on existing ROC theory rather than replacing it.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jiang, Yulei — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Jiang, Yulei
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.