Updating and recalibrating causal probabilistic models on a new target population

Abstract

ObjectiveVery often the performance of a Bayesian Network (BN) is affected when applied to a new target population. This is mainly because of differences in population characteristics. External validation of the model performance on different populations is a standard approach to test model’s generalisability. However, a good predictive performance is not enough to show that the model represents the unique population characteristics and can be adopted in the new environment. MethodsIn this paper, we present a methodology for updating and recalibrating developed BN models – both their structure and parameters - to better account for the characteristics of the target population. Attention has been given on incorporating expert knowledge and recalibrating latent variables, which are usually omitted from data-driven models. ResultsThe method is successfully applied to a clinical case study about the prediction of trauma-induced coagulopathy, where a BN has already been developed for civilian trauma patients and now it is recalibrated on combat casualties. ConclusionThe methodology proposed in this study is important for developing credible models that can demonstrate a good predictive performance when applied to a target population. Another advantage of the proposed methodology is that it is not limited to data-driven techniques and shows how expert knowledge can also be used when updating and recalibrating the model.