ROC Anatomy—Getting the Most Out of Your Diagnostic Test

Clinical decision-making relies heavily on making a correct diagnosis. Clinicians have a responsibility to understand the full spectrum of the diagnostic information conveyed by a physical exam finding, laboratory test result, or imaging. Many laboratory tests, such as troponin and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), are continuous tests with many possible results. Yet, there is a tendency to dichotomize tests into positive and negative, and use …