False positive
False positive
False positive (/fɔːls ˈpɒzɪtɪv/) is a term used in medical testing and statistics to describe a situation where a test result incorrectly indicates the presence of a condition, such as a disease, when in reality, it is not present.
Etymology
The term "false positive" is derived from the two English words "false", meaning not true or correct, and "positive", referring to the presence, rather than absence, of a particular condition or attribute.
Definition
In the context of medical diagnosis, a false positive is a result that indicates a patient has a condition or disease that they do not actually have. This can lead to unnecessary treatment and anxiety for the patient. False positives can occur for a variety of reasons, including errors in test administration, interpretation, and/or processing.
Related Terms
- Sensitivity (tests): This is the ability of a test to correctly identify those with the disease (true positive rate).
- Specificity (tests): This is the ability of the test to correctly identify those without the disease (true negative rate).
- False negative: This is the opposite of a false positive, where the test result incorrectly indicates the absence of a condition when it is actually present.
- Positive predictive value: This is the probability that subjects with a positive screening test truly have the disease.
- Negative predictive value: This is the probability that subjects with a negative screening test truly don't have the disease.
See also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on False positive
- Wikipedia's article - False positive
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