Interpreting obstetric and gynaecological disease screening and diagnostic test performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18597/rcog.320Keywords:
screening, early diagnosis, sensitivity and specificityAbstract
Objectives: explaining how diagnostic test performance is assessed, whether used for screening or confirming a certain disease, and explaining how a diagnostic test's operational characteristics are used for reducing uncertainty about the absence or presence of the disease for which it is being used.
Methodology: the main concepts underlying the assessment of the performance, validity, interpretation and the use of screening and diagnostic tests' operational characteristics are addressed within a clinical context. A sample clinical scenario is then resolved using the tools provided for the reader.
Results: the natural history of disease, a definition of normality, percentages and ratios are essential concepts for the proper use and interpretation of a screening or a diagnostic test's operational characteristics. Knowledge of pre-test probability and positive and negative likelihood ratios for a test being used is necessary for reducing uncertainty in a given diagnostic process.
Conclusions: interpreting a given diagnostic test's operational characteristics determines its optimal use for screening or accurately ruling out disease and thereby solving the problems we face daily in our clinical practice.
Author Biographies
Hernando Gaitán-Duarte
Jorge Andrés Rubio-Romero
Margarita Gómez-Chantraine
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