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Commentary: Matching IRT Models to PRO Constructs—Modeling Alternatives, and Some Thoughts on What Makes a Model Different

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

Matthias von DavierOpen the ORCID record for Matthias von Davier[Opens in a new window]
Matthias von Davier*
Affiliation:
Boston College
*
Correspondence should be made to Matthias von Davier, Boston College, 194 Beacon Street, Chestnut Hill, MA02467, USA. Email: vondavim@bc.edu
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Abstract

This commentary is an attempt to present some additional alternatives to the suggestions made by Reise et al. (2021). IRT models as they are used for patient-reported outcome (PRO) scales may not be fully satisfactory when used with commonly made assumptions. The suggested change to an alternative parameterization is critically reflected with the intent to initiate discussion around more comprehensive alternatives that allow for more complex latent structures having the potential to be more appropriate for PRO scales as they are applied to diverse populations.

Keywords

item response theorymodel equivalenciesdiscrete latent trait modelsclassification methods for clinical data

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