In a diagnostic test, which statement best defines sensitivity?

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Multiple Choice

In a diagnostic test, which statement best defines sensitivity?

In diagnostic tests, sensitivity measures how well the test detects disease among those who truly have it. It is the proportion of true positives identified by the test, calculated as TP divided by (TP plus FN). For example, if 100 people actually have the disease and the test correctly flags 90 of them as positive, the sensitivity is 90%. This is the best way to describe sensitivity because it focuses on the test’s ability to catch disease in truly diseased individuals. The other ideas correspond to different concepts: true negatives identified relates to specificity, not sensitivity; the proportion of diseased people in the population is prevalence, not test accuracy.

In diagnostic tests, sensitivity measures how well the test detects disease among those who truly have it. It is the proportion of true positives identified by the test, calculated as TP divided by (TP plus FN). For example, if 100 people actually have the disease and the test correctly flags 90 of them as positive, the sensitivity is 90%. This is the best way to describe sensitivity because it focuses on the test’s ability to catch disease in truly diseased individuals.

The other ideas correspond to different concepts: true negatives identified relates to specificity, not sensitivity; the proportion of diseased people in the population is prevalence, not test accuracy.

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