Multiple category-lot quality assurance sampling: a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control.

<h4>Background</h4>Originally a binary classifier, Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) has proven to be a useful tool for classification of the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni into multiple categories (≤10%, >10 and <50%, ≥50%), and semi-curtailed sampling has been shown to eff...

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Main Authors: Casey Olives, Joseph J Valadez, Simon J Brooker, Marcello Pagano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001806&type=printable
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author Casey Olives
Joseph J Valadez
Simon J Brooker
Marcello Pagano
author_facet Casey Olives
Joseph J Valadez
Simon J Brooker
Marcello Pagano
author_sort Casey Olives
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>Originally a binary classifier, Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) has proven to be a useful tool for classification of the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni into multiple categories (≤10%, >10 and <50%, ≥50%), and semi-curtailed sampling has been shown to effectively reduce the number of observations needed to reach a decision. To date the statistical underpinnings for Multiple Category-LQAS (MC-LQAS) have not received full treatment. We explore the analytical properties of MC-LQAS, and validate its use for the classification of S. mansoni prevalence in multiple settings in East Africa.<h4>Methodology</h4>We outline MC-LQAS design principles and formulae for operating characteristic curves. In addition, we derive the average sample number for MC-LQAS when utilizing semi-curtailed sampling and introduce curtailed sampling in this setting. We also assess the performance of MC-LQAS designs with maximum sample sizes of n=15 and n=25 via a weighted kappa-statistic using S. mansoni data collected in 388 schools from four studies in East Africa.<h4>Principle findings</h4>Overall performance of MC-LQAS classification was high (kappa-statistic of 0.87). In three of the studies, the kappa-statistic for a design with n=15 was greater than 0.75. In the fourth study, where these designs performed poorly (kappa-statistic less than 0.50), the majority of observations fell in regions where potential error is known to be high. Employment of semi-curtailed and curtailed sampling further reduced the sample size by as many as 0.5 and 3.5 observations per school, respectively, without increasing classification error.<h4>Conclusion/significance</h4>This work provides the needed analytics to understand the properties of MC-LQAS for assessing the prevalance of S. mansoni and shows that in most settings a sample size of 15 children provides a reliable classification of schools.
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spelling doaj-art-33efe62bde8f469083ab72ee2f98edd72025-08-20T02:22:45ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352012-01-0169e180610.1371/journal.pntd.0001806Multiple category-lot quality assurance sampling: a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control.Casey OlivesJoseph J ValadezSimon J BrookerMarcello Pagano<h4>Background</h4>Originally a binary classifier, Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) has proven to be a useful tool for classification of the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni into multiple categories (≤10%, >10 and <50%, ≥50%), and semi-curtailed sampling has been shown to effectively reduce the number of observations needed to reach a decision. To date the statistical underpinnings for Multiple Category-LQAS (MC-LQAS) have not received full treatment. We explore the analytical properties of MC-LQAS, and validate its use for the classification of S. mansoni prevalence in multiple settings in East Africa.<h4>Methodology</h4>We outline MC-LQAS design principles and formulae for operating characteristic curves. In addition, we derive the average sample number for MC-LQAS when utilizing semi-curtailed sampling and introduce curtailed sampling in this setting. We also assess the performance of MC-LQAS designs with maximum sample sizes of n=15 and n=25 via a weighted kappa-statistic using S. mansoni data collected in 388 schools from four studies in East Africa.<h4>Principle findings</h4>Overall performance of MC-LQAS classification was high (kappa-statistic of 0.87). In three of the studies, the kappa-statistic for a design with n=15 was greater than 0.75. In the fourth study, where these designs performed poorly (kappa-statistic less than 0.50), the majority of observations fell in regions where potential error is known to be high. Employment of semi-curtailed and curtailed sampling further reduced the sample size by as many as 0.5 and 3.5 observations per school, respectively, without increasing classification error.<h4>Conclusion/significance</h4>This work provides the needed analytics to understand the properties of MC-LQAS for assessing the prevalance of S. mansoni and shows that in most settings a sample size of 15 children provides a reliable classification of schools.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001806&type=printable
spellingShingle Casey Olives
Joseph J Valadez
Simon J Brooker
Marcello Pagano
Multiple category-lot quality assurance sampling: a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Multiple category-lot quality assurance sampling: a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control.
title_full Multiple category-lot quality assurance sampling: a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control.
title_fullStr Multiple category-lot quality assurance sampling: a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control.
title_full_unstemmed Multiple category-lot quality assurance sampling: a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control.
title_short Multiple category-lot quality assurance sampling: a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control.
title_sort multiple category lot quality assurance sampling a new classification system with application to schistosomiasis control
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0001806&type=printable
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AT simonjbrooker multiplecategorylotqualityassurancesamplinganewclassificationsystemwithapplicationtoschistosomiasiscontrol
AT marcellopagano multiplecategorylotqualityassurancesamplinganewclassificationsystemwithapplicationtoschistosomiasiscontrol