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How to request a test: A clinician's guide to the interpretation and evaluation of medical tests

Online ISBN:
9780191957505
Print ISBN:
9780192866615
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

How to request a test: A clinician's guide to the interpretation and evaluation of medical tests

Tom Boyles
Tom Boyles
Honorary Associate Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom, Honorary Researcher, Perinatal HIV Research Units, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Published online:
January 2023
Published in print:
December 2022
Online ISBN:
9780191957505
Print ISBN:
9780192866615
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

How to Request a Test: A Clinician’s Guide to the Interpretation and Evaluation of Medical Tests is a comprehensive overview of everything a doctor needs to know before performing a test. It fast-tracks learners to the level of experienced clinicians by providing insight into how they are able to use minimal tests to rapidly arrive at diagnoses. Illustrated throughout with real-life examples from multiple medical and surgical specialties, it begins with a simple definition of a test before moving on to explain the pros and cons of simple terms used to describe diagnostic accuracy, such as sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. It continues with an introduction to Bayes’ theorem and explains how likelihood ratios are a possible solution to the drawbacks of simple measures of diagnostic accuracy. In light of this, the book evaluates the controversial case of prostate cancer screening with prostate-specific antigen. Drawing on classic papers from the 1970s, the book then introduces basic medical decision theory based on threshold values and explains their practicality in real-world scenarios. The book then turns from an individual to a public health approach, describing different methods of evaluating tests before they are introduced into healthcare systems, including the use of randomized controlled trials to determine their impact on patient outcomes. The example of a novel test for tuberculosis is used to illustrate how this works in practice and the book concludes with a simple four-point checklist for clinicians to consider before requesting a test.

Disclaimer
Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always … More Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.
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