Online Program

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Tuesday, September 24
Tue, Sep 24, 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Thurgood Marshall North
Diagnostic Devices with Intermediate/Gray Zone Output

Equivocals – What do you mean you don’t know!?! (301043)

*Victoria L. Petrides, Abbott 

"Well who do you think does know!?!” – Frequent reply from Lee Hill of Clarkesville, GA when he asks a question and the responder answers, “I don’t know.” Not receiving a clear answer to a yes or no question can be frustrating, especially when that question pertains to a medical diagnosis. While many diagnostic tests produce binary results, some produce equivocal results, leaving patients and their physicians in limbo until a definitive diagnosis can be determined. This presentation will address reasons for equivocal results, why they are important, and discuss when and how they can be beneficial. This presentation will also include examples of different ways of comparing a test method yielding equivocal results to a method yielding a binary response and highlight how different data analysis methods can impact the perception of product performance.