New method reduces participants needed for accurate diagnostic studies.
The article discusses a method to estimate the sample size needed for studies comparing the accuracy of different medical tests. By re-estimating the sample size at an interim analysis point, researchers can reduce the number of participants required while still achieving accurate results. The method uses maximum likelihood estimation of the dependence between the tests to determine the sample size more accurately. The study found that this approach maintains a stable error rate and can reduce the number of participants needed for the study.