If a test has a high negative predictive value, what does this indicate about the population being tested?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the interpretation of a high negative predictive value (NPV) in the context of a medical test and its relationship to the prevalence of the disease in the tested population. A high NPV means that if a person tests negative, there's a high probability that they truly do not have the disease. The question requires understanding how NPV is influenced by disease prevalence.
Answer
It means that a negative test result is likely to be a true negative. This is more common in populations where the disease is rare.
A high negative predictive value indicates that if a person tests negative, there is a high probability that they truly do not have the disease. It is influenced by the prevalence of the disease in the population being tested; a high NPV is more likely in populations with a low prevalence of the disease.
Answer for screen readers
A high negative predictive value indicates that if a person tests negative, there is a high probability that they truly do not have the disease. It is influenced by the prevalence of the disease in the population being tested; a high NPV is more likely in populations with a low prevalence of the disease.
More Information
The negative predictive value (NPV) is the probability that a person with a negative test result actually does not have the disease. It's an important measure of how well a diagnostic test performs, especially in screening scenarios.
Tips
A common mistake is to assume that a high negative predictive value means the test is highly sensitive. While sensitivity does influence NPV, it is also heavily influenced by the prevalence of the disease in the population.
Sources
- Negative Predictive Value of a Test - Verywell Health - verywellhealth.com
- Negative predictive value | Radiology Reference Article - Radiopaedia - radiopaedia.org
- Positive and negative predictive values - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
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