A resampling approach for adjustment in prediction models for covariate measurement error

Abstract

Recent works on covariate measurement errors focus on the possible biases in model coefficient estimates. Usually, measurement error in a covariate tends to attenuate the coefficient estimate for the covariate, i.e., a bias toward the null occurs. Measurement error in another confounding or interacting variable typically results in incomplete adjustment for that variable. Hence, the coefficient for the covariate of interest may be biased either toward or away from the null. This paper presents a new method based on a resampling technique to deal with covariate measurement errors in the context of prediction modeling. Prediction accuracy is our primary parameter of interest. Prediction accuracy of a model is defined as the success rate of prediction when the model predicts new response. We call our method bootstrap regression calibration (BRC). We study logistic regression with interacting covariates as our prediction model. We measure the prediction accuracy of a model by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) method. Results from simulations show that bootstrap regression calibration offers consistent enhancement over the commonly used regression calibration (RC) method in terms of improving prediction accuracy of the model and reducing bias in the estimated coefficients.