The document outlines criteria for screening diseases and tests. For a disease to be screened, it must be an important health problem with a recognizable early stage. The natural history must be understood and an effective treatment available. The screening test must be acceptable, repeatable, and valid. Repeatability depends on observer variation, biological variation, and technical accuracy. A test is valid if it can accurately distinguish those with and without the disease, which is determined by its sensitivity and specificity.
The document outlines criteria for screening diseases and tests. For a disease to be screened, it must be an important health problem with a recognizable early stage. The natural history must be understood and an effective treatment available. The screening test must be acceptable, repeatable, and valid. Repeatability depends on observer variation, biological variation, and technical accuracy. A test is valid if it can accurately distinguish those with and without the disease, which is determined by its sensitivity and specificity.
The document outlines criteria for screening diseases and tests. For a disease to be screened, it must be an important health problem with a recognizable early stage. The natural history must be understood and an effective treatment available. The screening test must be acceptable, repeatable, and valid. Repeatability depends on observer variation, biological variation, and technical accuracy. A test is valid if it can accurately distinguish those with and without the disease, which is determined by its sensitivity and specificity.
The document outlines criteria for screening diseases and tests. For a disease to be screened, it must be an important health problem with a recognizable early stage. The natural history must be understood and an effective treatment available. The screening test must be acceptable, repeatable, and valid. Repeatability depends on observer variation, biological variation, and technical accuracy. A test is valid if it can accurately distinguish those with and without the disease, which is determined by its sensitivity and specificity.
• Criteria for screening based on two considerations:
the DISEASE to be screened, and
the TEST to be applied
Disease The disease to be screened should fulfill the following criteria before it is considered suitable for screening: 1.the condition sought should be an important health problem; 2.There should be a recognizable latent or early asymptomatic stage; 3.The natural history of the condition, including development from latent to declared disease, should be adequately understood; 4.There is a test that can detect the disease prior to the onset of signs and symptoms; 5.Facilities should be available for confirmation of the diagnosis; 6.There is an effective treatment; 7.There should be an agreed-on policy concerning whom to treat as patients; 8.There is good evidence that early detection and treatment reduces morbidity and mortality; 9.The expected benefits of early detection exceed the risks and costs. Screening test The test must satisfy the criteriaof- acceptability -repeatability & -validity 1.Acceptability since a high rate of cooperation is necessary, it is important that the test should be acceptable to the people at whom it is aimed. 2.Repeatability the repeatability of the test depends upon three major factors, observer variation biological variation and(subject) errors relating to technical methods A.Observer variation two types : a.intra observer variation if a single observer takes two measurements in the same subject ,at the same time and each time, he obtained a different result, this is termed as intra – observer or within – observer variation. b.inter-observer variation this is variation between different observers on the same subject or material , also known as between-observer variation.
this variation has occurred if one observer
examines a blood smear and finds malaria parasite, while a second observer examines the same slide and finds it normal. B. Biological or subject variation The fluctuation in the same individual may be due to - a)changes in the parameters observed b)variations in the way patients percieve their symptoms and answer , this is common subject variation c)regression to the mean whereas observer variation may be checked by repeat measurements at the same time, Biological variation is tested by repeat measurements over time. C.Errors relating to technical methods lastly , repeatability may be affected by variations inherent in the method, e.g., defective instrument Errroneous caliberation, faulty reagents; or the test itself might be inapproppriate or unreliable. 3.Validity (accuracy) the term validity refers to what extent the test accuracy measures which it purports to measure. in other words , validity expresses the ability of a test to separate or distinguish those who have the disease from those who do not .
validity has two components –sensitivity &
specificity. When assessing the accuracy of a diagnostic test , one must consider both these components. Sensitivity and specificity are usually determined by applying the test to one group of persons having the disease and to a reference group not having the disease. THANK YOU…