Using samples to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of a surveillance process
Version 2 2024-06-04, 09:38Version 2 2024-06-04, 09:38
Version 1 2017-05-09, 15:57Version 1 2017-05-09, 15:57
journal contribution
posted on 2024-06-04, 09:38authored byES McBryde, H Kelly, C Marshall, PL Russo, DLS McElwain, AN Pettitt
Determining sensitivity and specificity of a postoperative infection surveillance process is a difficult undertaking. Because postoperative infections are rare, vast numbers of negative results exist, and it is often not reasonable to assess them all. This study gives a methodological framework for estimating sensitivity and specificity by taking only a small sample of the number of patients who test negative and comparing their findings to the reference or "gold standard" rather than comparing the findings of all patients to the gold standard. It provides a formula for deriving confidence intervals for these estimates and a guide to minimum requirements for sampling results.
History
Journal
Infection control and hospital epidemiology
Volume
29
Pagination
559-563
Location
Cambridge, Eng.
ISSN
0899-823X
Language
eng
Publication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal
Copyright notice
2008, The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America