Diagnostic Tests - Importance and Procedure

Diagnostic tests are medical tests performed to aid in the diagnosis of a disease or condition, allowing healthcare providers to determine the appropriate treatment.
Category
Medical Test
Where to get
Conducted in healthcare facilities and laboratories
Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Diagnostic Tests FAQ

What is a diagnostic test?

Typically, your doctor is referring to a diagnostic test, sometimes known also as a diagnostic procedure or tool. These are commonly used to confirm or rule out a condition or disease. They’re part of a continuum of care that can include screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of that condition or disease.

What is the purpose and use of diagnostic testing?

The primary purpose of diagnostic testing is to detect a disease, its outlook, and its spread throughout the body. Diagnostic tests are used widely over the world with the primary purpose of detection of disease, its outlook, and its spread in the body.

How are diagnostic tests developed?

The commercial development of diagnostic tests pass through several generations to produce progressively better-performing assays over time. 6 The tests are established using sample populations in which the disease state (ill or healthy) of each member is known through an accepted gold standard test.

What are the characteristics of a valid diagnostic test?

An accurate and precise measurement is the primary characteristic of a valid diagnostic test. The reference range or reference interval and ranges of normal values determined in healthy persons are also essential to classify a measurement as a positive or negative result and generally refer to continuous measurements.

Why do I need a diagnostic test?

Getting results from these tests allows both your doctor and you and the important people in your life to learn information about your body. This will allow the two of you to make an informed decision on what the next steps should be. There are two different types of diagnostic tests you could receive, either invasive or non-invasive .

Diagnostic Tests References

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