{"title":"The basic statistical concepts and their interrelationships in diagnostic research.","authors":"Yitao Mao, Juxiong Xiao, Liping Zhu, Yu Zhang, Yueshuang Leng, Qingling Li, Ying Li, Chuyi Liu, Luqing Zhao","doi":"10.1093/postmj/qgae139","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Many medical postgraduate students exhibit a lack of clarity in their understanding of relevant statistical concepts during the conduct of diagnostic studies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This article, grounded in research practice, delves into the role of understanding statistical concepts in diagnostic research. It includes an exploration of sensitivity, specificity, types of statistical errors, and their interrelationships, as well as a discussion on statistical power-an often-overlooked but crucial concept in research.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The article elucidates these important concepts with specific examples and illustrations, and addresses an issue of inconsistency related to the receiver operating characteristic curve in research practice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>By drawing analogies between basic concepts in diagnostic tests and concepts in statistics, this article helps to enhance researchers' abilities in designing and interpreting clinical diagnostic studies, thereby improving the quality of clinical diagnostic research.</p>","PeriodicalId":20374,"journal":{"name":"Postgraduate Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":"263-267"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Postgraduate Medical Journal","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/postmj/qgae139","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Many medical postgraduate students exhibit a lack of clarity in their understanding of relevant statistical concepts during the conduct of diagnostic studies.
Methods: This article, grounded in research practice, delves into the role of understanding statistical concepts in diagnostic research. It includes an exploration of sensitivity, specificity, types of statistical errors, and their interrelationships, as well as a discussion on statistical power-an often-overlooked but crucial concept in research.
Results: The article elucidates these important concepts with specific examples and illustrations, and addresses an issue of inconsistency related to the receiver operating characteristic curve in research practice.
Conclusion: By drawing analogies between basic concepts in diagnostic tests and concepts in statistics, this article helps to enhance researchers' abilities in designing and interpreting clinical diagnostic studies, thereby improving the quality of clinical diagnostic research.
期刊介绍:
Postgraduate Medical Journal is a peer reviewed journal published on behalf of the Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine. The journal aims to support junior doctors and their teachers and contribute to the continuing professional development of all doctors by publishing papers on a wide range of topics relevant to the practicing clinician and teacher. Papers published in PMJ include those that focus on core competencies; that describe current practice and new developments in all branches of medicine; that describe relevance and impact of translational research on clinical practice; that provide background relevant to examinations; and papers on medical education and medical education research. PMJ supports CPD by providing the opportunity for doctors to publish many types of articles including original clinical research; reviews; quality improvement reports; editorials, and correspondence on clinical matters.