The Score test detects focused spatial clusters in group-level data. It was developed independently by Lawson (1989) and Waller et al. (1992). The score test evaluates the pattern of disease frequency around a point-focus. The null hypothesis is no clustering relative to the focus. Each region is scored for the difference between observed and expected disease counts, weighted by degree of exposure to the focus. ClusterSeer estimates exposure strength using the inverse of distance to the focus (1/d).
Example
Waller et al. (1992) examined the rate of leukemia near 12 hazardous waste sites in upstate New York. The Score test found some of the foci to be associated with high leukemia risk. The significant foci found by the Score test include but are not limited to areas identified by other tests of the same data.
