Abstract

ZAMORA MATAMOROS, Larisa  and  DIAZ SILVERA, Jorge Rey. PCorteSoft - System for determination of optimal cut-off point in predictive scales and categorization of continuous variables. RCIM [online]. 2023, vol.15, n.2  Epub Dec 01, 2023. ISSN 1684-1859.

When developing predictive models for application in clinical practice, health professionals often categorize clinical variables that are continuous in nature. In many cases, these models are the basis for the development of predictive scales from which patients are stratified into various categories according to the phenomenon under study. In both cases, it is necessary to determine one or more cut-off points that allow dividing the path of the variable, continuous variables, or scores of a scale into two or more categories.

The aim of the present work is to automate different existing methods for dichotomizing continuous variables in clinical prediction models where the response variable is dichotomous, as well as to determine the optimal cut-off point for stratifying patients into two categories, based on prediction scales. For this purpose, a software was developed in the R programming language, which implements different existing methods for the determination of the optimal cut-off point, speeding up the research work of health specialists in the process of developing predictive models and/or prediction scales.

Keywords : categorization of continuous variables; cut-off point; prediction scales; R software.

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