Focus on Global Terminology

This month’s terms:

• Diagnostic sensitivity: The proportion of patients with a well-defined clinical disorder whose test values are positive or exceed a defined decision limit (i.e., a positive result and identification of the patients who have a disease); NOTE 1 The clinical disorder must be defined by criteria independent of the test under consideration; NOTE 2 The European term “diagnostic sensitivity” is equivalent to the deprecated (discouraged) U.S. term “clinical sensitivity.” Editor's Note: In Europe, the term "clinical" applies mostly to clinical studies of drugs, under much more stringent conditions. 
• Diagnostic specificity: The proportion of subjects who do not have a specified clinical disorder whose test results are negative or within the defined decision limit; NOTE 1 It is the fraction of clinically true negative classifications divided by the sum of clinically true negative plus clinically false positive classifications; NOTE 2 The European term “diagnostic specificity” is equivalent to the deprecated (discouraged) U.S. term "clinical specificity." Editor's Note: In Europe, the term "clinical" applies mostly to clinical studies of drugs, under much more stringent conditions.

For complete details on these and other internationally accepted terms, visit our Harmonized Terminology Database.  In the database, find standard, internationally preferred terms and definitions, related terms, terms that are not acceptable in the international standards community, and illustrative notes and examples. [ return to top ]