Optimal test allocation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Ely, Jeffrey; Galeotti, Andrea; Jann, Ole; Steiner, Jakub
• 署名单位: Northwestern University; University of London; London Business School; Charles University Prague; Czech Academy of Sciences; Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0531
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2021.105236
• 发表日期: 2021
• 关键词: Test allocation; Epidemy control; Test sensitivity and specificity

摘要

A health authority chooses a binary action for each of several individuals that differ in their pretest probabilities of being infectious and in the additive losses associated with two types of decision errors. The authority is endowed with a portfolio of tests that differ in their sensitivities and specificities. We derive a simple necessary condition for optimality of test allocation. In special cases, precision parameters of the allocated test are monotone in the individuals' types. We characterize the marginal benefit of a test, provide an algorithmic solution for the test-allocation problem and consider the benefits of confirmatory testing. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All reserved.