The interpretation of phrases used to describe uncertainty in pathology reports

Malcolm Galloway1, Taj Taiyeb

  • 1Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, UK.

Related Concept Videos

Uncertainty: Overview00:59

Uncertainty: Overview

In analytical chemistry, we often perform repetitive measurements to detect and minimize inaccuracies caused by both determinate and indeterminate errors. Despite the cares we take, the presence of random errors means that repeated measurements almost never have exactly the same magnitude. The collective difference between these measurements - observed values - and the estimated or expected value is called uncertainty. Uncertainty is conventionally written after the estimated or expected value.
Introduction to Language of Pathophysiology ll01:17

Introduction to Language of Pathophysiology ll

This lesson explores key terms that describe how diseases progress, their outcomes, and their distribution in populations.Diagnostic tests identify diseases and monitor treatment. These include blood and urine tests, biopsies, imaging (X-ray, MRI), and detection of infectious agents.Remission is a reduction or disappearance of symptoms.Exacerbation refers to the worsening of symptoms, such as increased wheezing during an asthma attack.A precipitating factor triggers an acute episode, while a...
Introduction to Language of Pathophysiology l01:25

Introduction to Language of Pathophysiology l

Pathophysiology investigates how biological mechanisms—typically starting at the cellular level—disrupt normal bodily functions. It bridges anatomy and physiology to explain the progression of disease. With this foundation, it is important to understand the following key terms used to describe disease processes: Diagnosis:The process of identifying a disease using clinical evaluation, including signs (objective evidence like rashes), symptoms (subjective experiences like pain), laboratory test...
Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error00:59

Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error

An experiment often consists of more than a single step. In this case, measurements at each step give rise to uncertainty. Because the measurements occur in successive steps, the uncertainty in one step necessarily contributes to that in the subsequent step. As we perform statistical analysis on these types of experiments, we must learn to account for the propagation of uncertainty from one step to the next. The propagation of uncertainty depends on the type of arithmetic operation performed on...
Sensitivity, Specificity, and Predicted Value01:13

Sensitivity, Specificity, and Predicted Value

In healthcare diagnostics, laboratory tests play a crucial role in identifying and diagnosing a wide range of medical conditions. However, interpreting test results is not always straightforward. An abnormal test result does not always confirm the presence of a disease, just as a normal result does not guarantee its absence. To assess the reliability of these diagnostic tools, healthcare practitioners rely on two key statistical indicators: sensitivity and specificity.
Sensitivity is the...
Interpretation of Confidence Intervals01:19

Interpretation of Confidence Intervals

A confidence interval is a better estimate of the population than a point estimate, as it uses a range of values from a sample instead of a single value.
Confidence intervals have confidence coefficients that are crucial for their interpretation. The most common confidence coefficients are 0.90, 0.95, and 0.99, which can be written as percentages–90%, 95%, and 99%, respectively.
Suppose a person calculates a confidence interval with a confidence coefficient of 0.95. In that case, they can...