Objective assessment of diagnostic tests

Nermin N. Salkić

Abstract


The whole point of a diagnostic test is to use it to make a diagnosis,thus the obvious need is to know how accurately aparticular diagnostic test detects patients with or without adisease. In order to know it, a clinician or a researcher shouldhave a basic understanding of the principles of objective appraisalof diagnostic tests. In this short review, the authorpresents the most common biostatistical methodology forassessment of the validity of diagnostic tests. Definitions andinterpretations of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negativepredictive values are also provided together with how theyare calculated.

Keywords


Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive predictive value, Negative predictive value

Full Text:

PDF

References


Annonymous. Wikipedia: Thomas Bayes. 2008

[cited November 16th, 2008]; Available from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bayes

Lok AS, McMahon BJ. Chronic hepatitis B. Hepatology 2001;34:1225-41.

Cadranel JF, Rufat P, Degos F. Practices of liver biopsy in France: results of a prospective nationwide survey. For the Group of Epidemiology of the French Association for the Study of the Liver (AFEF). Hepatology 2000;32:477-81.

Greenhalgh T. How to read a paper. Papers that report diagnostic or screening tests. BMJ 1997;315:540-3.

Altman DG, Bland JM. Diagnostic tests. 1: Sensitivity and specificity. BMJ 1994;308:1552.

Altman DG, Bland JM. Diagnostic tests 2: Predictive values. BMJ 1994;309:102.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


2019 Department of Medical Sciences, Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. All rights reserved.
 
The full text of articles published in this journal can be used free of charge for personal and educational purposes while respecting authors and publishers’ copyrights. For commercial purposes no part of this journal may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.