Abstract
Traditionally, the sensitivity and specificity of a new diagnostic test are derived from its application to two groups of individuals known to have or not to have met the criterion to be detected as judged by means of a "gold standard", some external time-honored test. In this study, a test with unknown accuracy parameters was used to detect an end-point criterion in an ongoing ophthalmological clinical trial. Since no external test method was available to assess the accuracy of this test, equations were derived relating the unknown sensitivity and specificity of the test to data frequencies based on replicate measurements. The solutions to these equations also provided estimates of the incidence rate of the criterion under investigation in the group tested, and of the predictive values of the test. The validity of this method of estimation is discussed, and applications to other situations are suggested.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1167-1179 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Clinical Epidemiology |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1991 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Incidence predictive values
- Multivariate binomial distribution
- Sensitivity
- Specificity
- Test criterion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
- Epidemiology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic test determined by repeated observations in the absence of an external standard. / Schulzer, Michael; Anderson, Douglas; Drance, Stephen M.
In: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, Vol. 44, No. 11, 01.01.1991, p. 1167-1179.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic test determined by repeated observations in the absence of an external standard
AU - Schulzer, Michael
AU - Anderson, Douglas
AU - Drance, Stephen M.
PY - 1991/1/1
Y1 - 1991/1/1
N2 - Traditionally, the sensitivity and specificity of a new diagnostic test are derived from its application to two groups of individuals known to have or not to have met the criterion to be detected as judged by means of a "gold standard", some external time-honored test. In this study, a test with unknown accuracy parameters was used to detect an end-point criterion in an ongoing ophthalmological clinical trial. Since no external test method was available to assess the accuracy of this test, equations were derived relating the unknown sensitivity and specificity of the test to data frequencies based on replicate measurements. The solutions to these equations also provided estimates of the incidence rate of the criterion under investigation in the group tested, and of the predictive values of the test. The validity of this method of estimation is discussed, and applications to other situations are suggested.
AB - Traditionally, the sensitivity and specificity of a new diagnostic test are derived from its application to two groups of individuals known to have or not to have met the criterion to be detected as judged by means of a "gold standard", some external time-honored test. In this study, a test with unknown accuracy parameters was used to detect an end-point criterion in an ongoing ophthalmological clinical trial. Since no external test method was available to assess the accuracy of this test, equations were derived relating the unknown sensitivity and specificity of the test to data frequencies based on replicate measurements. The solutions to these equations also provided estimates of the incidence rate of the criterion under investigation in the group tested, and of the predictive values of the test. The validity of this method of estimation is discussed, and applications to other situations are suggested.
KW - Incidence predictive values
KW - Multivariate binomial distribution
KW - Sensitivity
KW - Specificity
KW - Test criterion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0026056282&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0026056282&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0895-4356(91)90149-4
DO - 10.1016/0895-4356(91)90149-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 1789861
AN - SCOPUS:0026056282
VL - 44
SP - 1167
EP - 1179
JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
SN - 0895-4356
IS - 11
ER -