Validation of diagnostic procedures on stratified populations: application on the quantification of thallium myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

In this report we present a method for the quantitative description of the degree of deviation from the norm of 201thallium single photon emission tomographic (SPECT) data. Validation is obtained from the frequency of "positive" outcomes in subgroup of patients in whom the prevalence of coronary artery disease, for the group as a whole, is known, even if individual patient outcomes are not verified. This approach overcomes the bias associated with nonrandomized clinical studies, in which the likelihood that a more invasive but definitive procedure (coronary arteriogram) will be performed is influenced by the result of the outcome of the procedure under study.