Likeligood ratios: getting diagnostic testing into perspective

摘要

In modern medicine, sophisticated laboratory tests and imagingstud is are of tern emphasized at the expense of history and physicalexamination, rather than complementing clinical assessment. Ancillarytesting often fails to advance the diagnostic process, and increasespatient risk and the expense of med- ical care. The relative value ofclinical evaluation and technological methods is rarely considered,and the power of the clinical evaluation is therefore underestimated.