A strategy for thyroid function tests.
The concept of decision-aiding ranges were introduced to improve diagnostic efficiency. The clinical uncertainty in distinguishing borderline cases of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism among 1559 consecutive requests for thyroid function tests was 47%. This was reduced to 22% by using the free thyroxine index and to under 2% by using specific tests determined by the decision-aiding ranges.
D001499:Bayes Theorem; D003657:Decision Making; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000175:diagnosis; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine