Exam 2: Serial and Parallel Testing I and II

Question 1

What is serial testing?

Answer 1

Two or more tests are conducted sequentially based on the results of a previous test

Question 2

Which animals are tested a second time with serial testing?

Answer 2

Only animals that test positive to the first test

Question 3

Which animals are considered positive with serial testing?

Answer 3

Only animals that are positive on all tests

Question 4

When should serial testing be used for diagnosis?

Answer 4

When time is not crucial or if diagnosing a patient when disease positive has a grave outcome

Question 5

What is the sensitivity and specificity of serial testing?

Answer 5

Low sensitivity, high specificity

Question 6

What is parallel testing?

Answer 6

Conducting 2 or more tests on a patient at the same time

Question 7

When is a patient considered positive with parallel testing?

Answer 7

If they are positive to any of the tests

Question 8

What is the sensitivity and specificity of parallel testing?

Answer 8

High sensitivity, low specificity

Question 9

What is parallel testing used for?

Answer 9

Rapid assessment of individual patients; emergencies
Used when the consequence of missing a disease has greater importance than having false positives
Used to rule out a disease

Question 10

What does the overall increased sensitivity mean with parallel testing?

Answer 10

Fewer false negatives

Question 11

What does decreased specificity mean with parallel testing?

Answer 11

More false positives

Question 12

What is the overall sensitivity of serial testing versus parallel testing?

Answer 12

Serial: Low
Parallel: High

Question 13

What is the overall specificity of serial testing versus parallel testing?

Answer 13

Serial: High
Parallel: Low

Question 14

What is the false negative rate of serial testing versus parallel testing?

Answer 14

Serial: High
Parallel: Low

Question 15

What is the false positive rate of serial testing versus parallel testing?

Answer 15

Serial: Low
Parallel: High

Question 16

What is the summary of parallel testing?

Answer 16

Positives capture almost all the ill, but includes many non-ill too

Question 17

What is the summary of serial testing?

Answer 17

Negatives capture all non-ill, but include some ill

Question 18

What is the interpretation of parallel testing?

Answer 18

Positives ID all ill and is okay to include some non-ill

Rule out disease, confidence in Negatives is high

Question 19

What is the interpretation of serial testing?

Answer 19

When you want to make sure your not including too many non-ill in the positives
Rule in disease- confidence in positives

Question 20

What is the confidence of in a positive test with serial testing?

Answer 20

High (high PPV)

Question 21

What is the confidence in a negative test with serial testing?

Answer 21

Lower (lower NPV)

Question 22

What is the confidence in a positive test with parallel testing?

Answer 22

Lower (lower PPV)

Question 23

What is the confidence in a negative with parallel testing?

Answer 23

High (higher NPV)

Question 24

Look at examples from both lectures

Answer 24

Look at examples from both lectures