Managing the risks of making the wrong diagnosis: First, do no harm

Diagnostics are essential public health tools, yet their use, role and complexities are largely misunderstood. Researchers developing a diagnostic test, or end-users choosing from among available tests, make choices based on test performance to maximize success in identifying positives and negatives. However, equally important is to consider the risks of misdiagnosing someone as having or not having a condition, and its consequences, adopting basic risk-assessment and risk-management reasoning.
Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Perspective Source Type: research