Characteristics of diagnostic

test
• Types of tests???
• 1. Specific.
• 2. These are prepared by experts.
• 3. It has a purpose to identify the disease consistent with the
symptom.
• 4. it must be based on experimental evidence
• 5.It should suggest or provide specific remedial procedures for each
error detected.
• 6. Should require a response from the subject
• 7.Should be able to quantify the result.
9. must have a normative data

• 8. Must have test retest reliability and validity.

-Ability of a test to accurately measure the desired
characteristic/component.
Examples of reliability(Play audiometry in adults) and validity(GSHH in
verbal children)
• 10. Sensitivity
- Ability of a test to identify a diseased person as positive.
• 11. Specificity
- Ability of a test to identify a non-diseased person as negative.
12.Objectivity:
- Results could be interpreted without any personal bias.
13. Comparitibility:
- Test results could be compared and corelated with other tests.
14. Exactness
15. Comprehensiveness
(OAE Screening)
16. Appropriateness
17.Practicability.
 Screening Tests Diagnostic Tests
To find potential
Purpose To establish presence/absence of disease
disease indicators
large numbers of
asymptomatic, but People with symptoms to establish a diagnosis or people with a
Target Population potentially at risk positive screening test and need further correlation
peoples
Simple, acceptable
At times expensive, but justifiable as necessary to establish a
Test Practice to patients, usually
diagnosis
cost effective
Generally chosen
towards high
Positive Result Chosen for high specificity (true negatives). More weight is given to
sensitivity not to
Threshold accuracy and precision than to patient acceptability
miss potential
disease
Indicates suspicion
of disease (often
used in combination
Positive Result with other risk Result provides a definite diagnosis
Threshold factors) that
warrants
confirmation
Low Cost, benefits
should justify
 Low Cost, benefits should justify
Comparatively little expensive
the costs since large numbers
associated with a diagnostic test
Cost of the patient will need to be
may be justified to establish the
screened, to identify a small
diagnosis.
number of potential cases
Sensitivity and specificity table