Probabilistic modelling of verbal autopsy data is best for public health decision making
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 02:49
in Health & Medicine
Computer-based probabilistic models that are used to interpret verbal autopsy data- information from interviews with family, friends and carers about deaths that are later interpreted into possible cause(s) of death- are as effective as physician reviews of the data for establishing cause of death, according to research by Peter Byass from Umea University, Sweden, and colleagues from Witwatersrand University, South Africa, that is published this week in PLoS Medicine. Probabilistic modelling is cheaper and faster than physician review and also completely internally consistent. Therefore, in many circumstances, probabilistic modelling is the best available means of incorporating data on deaths into public health actions...