Clinical Decision Making: Using a Diagnostic Test
2020
This article is part of a 6-part series on clinical decision making. The authors use two clinical examples to review the principles of interpreting diagnostic test results. They outline an approach that can be used to determine how to select and apply tests and their results to the practice of internal medicine. Topics covered in the two case studies include sensitivity and specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive value of tests, and how to estimate the post-test probability of a condition using this information and the pre-test probability of the condition. Multiple approaches are discussed, which include the use of a 2x2 table, Bayes’ Theorem using a nomogram, and the importance of considering prevalence in determining the false-positive and false-negative rates despite positive or negative test results.
Clinical Decision Making: Using a Diagnostic Test
Source:
Armstrong KA, Metlay JP. Clinical Decision Making: Using a Diagnostic Test. Annals of Internal Medicine 2020; 172 (9): 604-609. https://doi.org/10.7326/M19-1940