Prediction models are important in various fields, including medicine, physics,
meteorology, and finance. Prediction models will become more relevant in the
medical field with the increase in knowledge on potential predictors of outcome,
e.g. from genetics. Also, the number of applications will increase, e.g. with targeted
early detection of disease, and individualized approaches to diagnostic testing and
treatment. The current era of evidence-based medicine asks for an individualized
approach to medical decision-making. Evidence-based medicine has a central place
for meta-analysis to summarize results from randomized controlled trials; similarly
prediction models may summarize the effects of predictors to provide individualized
predictions of a diagnostic or prognostic outcome