Evaluation of diagnostic tests

Course date: Wednesday 19

th
February 2014
Time: 13.00
Booking: Please contact BRCtraining@gstt.nhs.uk or for further queries Claire
Dossi (0207 188 7188 ext 51239)
Further information

Intended audience

This is an introductory course for anyone who is interested in finding out about
statistical tools related to the assessment of the effectiveness of new diagnostic
tests. This course will suit researchers, clinicians or non-clinicians, who have an
interest in optimizing diagnostic test systems and who need to present their work for
publication. Clinical areas of diagnostic test applications include: Clinical diagnostic
performance of a radiological (imaging), laboratory or physiological test. The basic
concepts including how to design and conduct an evaluation study of diagnostic tests
will be explained through the use of a real example. Available software will also be
discussed.


Course description

Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
and Kings College Londons comprehensive
Biomedical Research Centre
Working together to deliver better health through research
There is an increasing importance of diagnostic technology in medicine and
healthcare. More than ever the practice of medicine and delivery of healthcare
depends upon making an accurate diagnosis based on the use of diagnostic tests.
These may be clinical, radiological (including ultrasonics or magnetic resonance
imaging), laboratory based (including biochemistry, haematology, bacteriology,
virology, immunology or genetics), physiological (thermometer, dipstick, exercise
stress tests) or psychological. The reliability of a test has to be known in making a
diagnosis. This course aims to equip participants to further develop their
understanding on interpreting parameters of diagnostic tests and on comparing the
quality of different diagnostic tests.




Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
and Kings College Londons comprehensive
Biomedical Research Centre
Working together to deliver better health through research

This course will cover:
o Evaluating the performance of diagnostic tests
o Sensitivity, specificity, false and true positives/negatives in the context
of diagnostic tests
o Benefit of receiver operating characteristics ROC curves and the
definition of cut-offs
o Evaluating the clinical usefulness of diagnostic tests
o Positive and negative predictive values
o Positive and negative likelihood ratios
o Interpreting parameters of diagnostic tests and comparing quality of diagnostic
tests

Learning objectives

By the end of the session, participants should be able to:
Understand the terms sensitivity, specificity, false and true
positives/negatives, predictive values and likelihood ratios appropriately in
the context of diagnostic tests
Understand the benefit of ROC curves and the definition of cut-offs
Identify the correct statistical test for evaluating diagnostic tests
Design and conduct a ROC study.
Summarise the results of a diagnostic test study in a publication or grant
application

About the trainer

Dr Abdel Douiri is a Lecturer in Medical Statistics in the School of Medicine, Kings
College London. He also acts as a consultant to clinical researchers.