Challenges in Interpreting the Ob/Gyn Literature: Studies of Screening.

Overview

Screening tests are critical to patient care. Screening tests must meet ten criteria established by the World Health Organization in order to be considered effective. Common types of studies on screening tests include those that establish test characteristics, such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, as well as cost-effective analyses. In this paper, we review the criteria for effective screening tests, and discuss the strengths and pitfalls of common study designs evaluating screening tests.