the process of assigning relative importance or influence to different components within a composite measure, index, or score. This ensures that each component contributes appropriately to the overall result. Weighting can be determined using patient priorities, expert consensus, statistical analyses, or a combination of these approaches.
Example
A composite index measuring arthritis flare severity includes five domains: pain, stiffness, physical function, fatigue, and psychological impact. Using weighting, pain and physical function are assigned higher scores (e.g., 30% each) based on patient input, while stiffness, fatigue, and psychological impact each receive 13% to reflect their comparatively lower but still important influence on the total score.