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Minimax-regret treatment choice with missing outcome data. (English) Zbl 1418.62512

Summary: I use the minimax-regret criterion to study choice between two treatments when some outcomes in the study population are unobservable and the distribution of missing data is unknown. I first assume that observable features of the study population are known and derive the treatment rule that minimizes maximum regret over all possible distributions of missing data. When no treatment is dominant, this rule allocates positive fractions of persons to both treatments. I then assume that the data are a random sample of the study population and show that in some instances, treatment rules that estimate certain point-identified population means by sample averages are finite-sample minimax regret.

MSC:

62P20 Applications of statistics to economics
62C20 Minimax procedures in statistical decision theory
91B14 Social choice
Full Text: DOI

References:

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