Prof. Otieno Joseph A. M.

Citation:

Muhua, G.O; Ottieno J.AM. and Owino JO. "Probability Estimation in Group-Screening Designs without Errors in Decisions." The East African Journal of statistics,. 2012;5(1):97-106.

Abstract:

Sometimes due to confidentiality purposes, the objective is to estimate the proportion P of individuals that posses a certain characteristic, such as a blood disease or an antibody, without necessarily identifying the individuals. In such a case, testing blood samples from k individuals may result in an estimator of P with substantial lower mean square error than traditional estimator. The mean square error varies with k and P , and we show a method for choosing the optimal value of k . Practical considerations as applied to determining proportions of people with a disease are discussed. Substantial cost savings may result when the prevalence of a disease is low.

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