Principles of screening.
Screening and diagnostic testing are sequentially-oriented procedures for progressively analyzing risk. Screening is broadly based and aimed at identifying those at high risk of a disease or condition. Diagnostic testing is designed to more definitively answer the question of whether or not a person has a disease or condition. Understanding the differences among four key measures of evaluation for tests (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value) are necessary for proper utilization of screening tests.
Comprehensive Genetics, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA. Evans@CompreGen.com
Mark I
MI
Evans
Robert S
RS
Galen
David W
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Britt
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000175:diagnosis; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic