Interpretation of a diagnostic test in statistical terms

Abstract

In medical practice, various tests are used for confirmation or diagnosis of a disease. For clinical implications, these tests are compared with the definitive test which is the gold standard and their diagnostic utility is expressed by various statistical terms such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and so on. Therefore, it becomes very important to understand the interpretation of diagnostic tests in statistical terms.

Keywords

• diagnostic test
• sensitivity
• specificity
• positive predictive value (ppv)
• negative predictive value (npv)