Screening
(Questions to practice)
1. A serological test is being devised to test a
hypothetical chronic disease; 300 individuals are
referred to a lab for testing with one hundred
diagnosed cases among them. A serological test
gives positive to 200 people, of which one-fourth
of them are true positive. Calculate the
specificity, sensitivity, and predictive values of
this test.
2. Screening test “A” was conducted for disease “X” in
a population of 2000. The prevalence of disease “X”
in that population was (40%). Test “A” result
showed positive for 400 people. Among those
positive results, 120 were false. Draw a table of
the given data. Calculate the sensitivity and
specificity of test “A”. If test “A” would be
applied to 1000 populations with disease prevalence
(50%), what would be the positive and negative
predictive values?
3. 1000 men at age of 60 years and above were tested
for detection of prostatic cancer by using a new
screening test with 90 % sensitivity and 80 %
specificity. The prevalence of prostatic cancer in
the general population aged 60 years and above was
10%. Construct a 2x2 table. Compute the following
and give comments.
The predictive values of the test
False positive and false negative rates
Efficiency of the test.
