A GENERALIZED LINEAR-MODEL FOR ANALYZING RECEIVER OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC CURVES

We present a continuation ratio model for analysing ordinal categorica l data and we apply the model to the problem of estimating receiver op erating characteristic (ROC) curves. We apply the methods to post-pran dial capillary blood glucose measurements as a criterion for a potenti al screening test for diabetes mellitus. One can obtain point estimate s of sensitivity and specificity and their associated standard errors at any value along the observed range of post-prandial capillary blood glucose measurements. Also, in comparison to the models for ROCs desc ribed by Tosteson and Begg, ROC curves based on the continuation ratio model have the desired features that allow ROCs to be concave but not necessarily symmetric.