sensitivity

[obiwan]

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in FA, it says that sensitivity is used to rule out disease. i had a UW question yesterday that a high sensitive test rules out individuals with disease which got me confused. Correct me if i'm wrong but I always thought that a highly sensitive test (low false negatives) rules out those without disease if they had a negative test...

 

[PenguinHead]

i had a UW question yesterday that a high sensitive test rules out individuals with disease which got me confused.

I think you are right and UW was wrong, or you interpreted it wrong.

The way I see it:
A highly sensitive test should be positive for everyone with the disease. It would have low false negatives. So, if it says you don't have the disease, then you truly don't have the disease. To me, that means that it screens out those who definitely don't have the disease.

 

[Femtochemistry]

I read the same thing in UW; that sensitivity rules IN while FA said rules OUT.


very confused.

 

[osli]

Sensitive tests rule out a disease, specific tests rule in a disease.

If it is 100% sensitive, and your result is negative, then you know you don't have it.

If it is 100% specific, and your result is positive, then you know you do have it.

 

[synapse lapse]

Yeah, a mnemonic in our school syllabus was SPIN and SNOUT, SPeceificity rule IN, SeNsitivity rules OUT. Not sure if it helps, but if you are in a pinch or forget in 2 years maybe so.