title: "Normal" children, "abnormal" results.
abstract: The relationship of sensitivity and specificity to disease frequency is considered in quantitative detail for typical screening situations. It is shown by illustrative examples that most screening procedures applied unselectively to total populations will yield a vast abundance of false positive results. The important role of prior probability in interpreting diagnostic test results is spelled out and applied to paradigms for screening.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003933:Diagnosis; D004813:Epidemiology; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005693:Galactosemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008403:Mass Screening; D010661:Phenylketonurias / Q000453:epidemiology; D011336:Probability; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids