Theory
Treatment readiness index
Test whether a composite readiness measure can improve treatment timing or selection without hiding weak dimensions. The index is rejected when aggregation hides a fatal condition, the score cannot guide action, or performance does not transfer across settings, and it must show that acting on the score improves outcomes.
Claim
A readiness index may combine biological, clinical, operational, and behavioral measures to support a treatment decision.
Test
State which measures are causal, predictive, or contextual. Test stability over time, the decision threshold, calibration, subgroup performance, and whether acting on the score improves outcomes.
Failure case
Reject the index when aggregation hides a fatal condition, the score cannot guide action, or performance does not transfer across settings.