In the field of fetal medicine, correct interpretation and optimal utilization of
diagnostic tests and signs have a major impact on the pregnancy outcome. The attributes
of a diagnostic test, such as sensitivity and specificity, and the attributes of a
test result such as positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative
likelihood ratios are important yet poorly utilized concepts in clinical practice.
This paper explains these concepts using simple language and examples from the fetal
medicine literature.
Keywords
Diagnostic test - Sensitivity - Specificity - Likelihood ratio - Pretest probability
- Post-test probability - Positive predictive value - Negative predictive value
