Saddlepoint p-values for a class of nonparametric tests for the current status and panel count data under generalized permuted block design

Current status and panel count data appear in many applied fields, including medicine, clinical trials, epidemiology, econometrics, demography, engineering and public health. Therefore, in this article, we use the saddlepoint approximation method to approximate the exact p-value of a number of nonparametric tests for the current status and panel count data under a generalized permuted block design. The saddlepoint approximation is referred to as higher-order approximation and it is more accurate than the methods that lead to approximations that are accurate to the first order, such as the asymptotic normal approximation method. To verify the accuracy and efficiency of the saddlepoint approximation method, a simulation study is conducted. The simulation study results confirm that the saddlepoint approximation method is more powerful than the existing approximation method. Furthermore, number of real current status and panel count data sets are analyzed and displayed as illustrative examples.