Effects of Pooled Samples.

Emmett B. Keeler, Donald M. Berwick

Expert InsightsPublished 1975

Pooling of specimens before laboratory testing may reduce the costs of expensive tests for rare medical conditions. This paper presents models of how test performance is degraded by such pools, and of the financial savings that pooling allows. The method of computing optimal pool size is demonstrated on a screening test and on the test for gastrin. Test characteristics that make pooling effective are listed. 14 pp. Ref.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1975
  • Pages: 14
  • Document Number: P-5528

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Keeler, Emmett B. and Donald M. Berwick, Effects of Pooled Samples. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1975. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P5528.html.
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