Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an ABSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology
Published on: October 3, 2016
Understanding diagnostic tests - Part 3: Receiver operating characteristic curves
Rakesh Aggarwal1, Priya Ranganathan2
1Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Abstract:
In the previous two articles in this series on biostatistics, we examined the properties of diagnostic tests and various measures of their performance in clinical practice. These performance measures vary according to the cutoff used to distinguish the diseased and the healthy. We conclude the series on diagnostic tests by looking at receiver operating characteristic curves, a technique to assess the performance of a test across several different cutoffs, and discuss how to determine an optimum cutoff.
Related Concept Videos
Receiver Operating Characteristic Plot
Myasthenia Gravis: Diagnostic Tests
The edrophonium test is a diagnostic tool for myasthenia gravis. It involves...
Pericarditis II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
Atherosclerosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Tests
Myocarditis II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests
Mitral Regurgitation II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests

