Comparison of Cause Specific Rate Functions of Panel Count Data with Multiple Modes of Recurrence

Abstract

Panel count data refer to the data arising from studies concerning recurrent events where study subjects are observed only at distinct time points. If these study subjects are exposed to recurrent events of several types, we obtain panel count data with multiple modes of recurrence. In the present paper, we propose a nonparametric test to compare cause specific rate functions of panel count data with more than one mode of recurrence. We carry out simulation studies to evaluate the performance of the test statistic in a finite sample setup. The proposed test is illustrated using two real-life panel count data sets, one arising from a medical follow-up study on skin cancer chemo prevention trial and the other on a warranty database for a fleet of automobiles.