Binomial confidence intervals for testing non-inferiority or superiority: a practitioner's dilemma. (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pradhan, Vivek; Evans, John C; Banerjee, Tathagata
• Other Names: Lawson Andrew B guest-editor.; Lee Duncan guest-editor.; MacNab Ying guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Statistical methods in medical research. Volume 25:Number 4(2016:Aug.)
• Page Start: 1707
• Page End: 1717
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: coverage -- expected length -- non-inferiority -- superiority; Medicine -- Research -- Statistical methods -- Periodicals; Research -- Periodicals; Review Literature -- Periodicals; Statistics -- methods -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Recherche -- Méthodes statistiques -- Périodiques; 610.727
• DOI: 10.1177/0962280213498324
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-2802

Abstract

In testing for non-inferiority or superiority in a single arm study, the confidence interval of a single binomial proportion is frequently used. A number of such intervals are proposed in the literature and implemented in standard software packages. Unfortunately, use of different intervals leads to conflicting conclusions. Practitioners thus face a serious dilemma in deciding which one to depend on. Is there a way to resolve this dilemma? We address this question by investigating the performances of ten commonly used intervals of a single binomial proportion, in the light of two criteria, viz., coverage and expected length of the interval.