Innovative perspectives on the value of diagnostic tests in clinical practice

Abstract

Diagnostic tests have intrinsic characteristics such as sensitivity, specificity, overall accuracy and likelihood ratios which define their operational performance. It is not uncommon to find in the literature that test value and clinical utility are defined based exclusively on those characteristics. This paper introduces several arguments aimed at prompting a reflection regarding the characteristics that define the true value of diagnostic tests in clinical practice. It concludes with the view that the value of each diagnostic test needs to be established in accordance with the circumstances in which it is used, taking into account extrinsic characteristics such as in whom it is used, when, where and by who.