A nurse wanted a screening test that was very sensitive in determining who might have a particular illness. What might be a problem with using such a sensitive test? (Select all that apply.)
a. Many persons have true negative test results.
b. Persons who test negative are able to celebrate their healthy state.
c. Persons who do not have the illness are told that they might, which leads to anxiety, as well as time and cost of follow-up diagnostic tests.
d. Such a test may have lower specificity, so some persons with the disease are told they are disease free and hence do not receive care.
e. There is no problem; it is best to use the most sensitive screening test available.
f.
Persons who have the disease are notified and receive treatment.
ANS: C, D
The problem with very sensitive tests is that the test picks up almost all people with the disease but also many others who do not have the disease. These "false positives" result in persons needing follow-up diagnostic tests. Additional time, effort, and expense, as well as worry, result until the negative test results are obtained. There is no problem with persons receiving true negative test results and celebrating that knowledge or with persons having their condition correctly diagnosed and treated.
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Select from the list below the phases used in the Six Sigma process
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