Endpoint Constructors for netbenefit_()

These helpers build the individual endpoint specifications that netbenefit_() consumes through its endpoints argument. Each call returns a small list describing one comparison rule; the order in which they appear in the endpoints list defines the hierarchical priority (first = highest).

Usage

nb_tte(
  time,
  event,
  direction = c("longer_better", "shorter_better"),
  margin = 0,
  censor_rule = c("informative", "ignore")
)

nb_continuous(
  value,
  direction = c("larger_better", "smaller_better"),
  margin = 0
)

nb_binary(value, direction = c("larger_better", "smaller_better"))

Arguments

time: character. Name of the time column in data.
event: character. Name of the event-indicator column in data (1 = event observed, 0 = censored).
direction: one of "longer_better" / "shorter_better" (nb_tte()) or "larger_better" / "smaller_better" (nb_continuous(), nb_binary()).
margin: non-negative numeric. Minimum directional gap required to declare a winner on this endpoint. Defaults to 0.
censor_rule: (nb_tte() only) one of "informative" / "ignore".
value: character. Name of the outcome column in data.

Value

An object of class c("nb_endpoint_<type>", "nb_endpoint") carrying the rule and its arguments.

Direction

For each endpoint type, direction says whether a larger value (or longer time, for TTE) counts as a win for the subject. With the default convention, a treatment subject "wins" the endpoint when its value, possibly minus a margin, exceeds the control subject's value. Flip the default for endpoints where smaller (or shorter) is better (e.g., pain scores; time to symptom relief).

Margin

margin is a non-negative clinically meaningful difference threshold. A pair only declares a winner when the directional gap strictly exceeds margin; otherwise the pair ties at this endpoint and falls through to the next one. nb_binary() does not expose margin because binary values admit only two outcomes.

Censoring