Predictive value and informational value of diagnostic test results.
If clinical quality assurance and cost-effectiveness of diagnostic testing are to be measured, some sort of measurement of the clinical value of a test result is needed. The predictive value of a test result is not a real measure of its clinical value, and, particularly, when used in the later stages of a diagnostic workup, it can be misleading. Using the same data that go into a calculation of predictive value, the clinical value can be determined according to the amount of useful information that is provided by a test result. Cost-effectiveness can be expressed as dollars per bit of diagnostic information.
Johnson
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Three Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023.
D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011786:Quality Control