Hey eli5,
I’ve been an RRT for eight years, and I feel like I’m strong clinically; but one thing I’ve struggled with is the concepts of Sensitivity and Specificity. I’ve gargled this time and time again and it never sinks in. I’d like to advance my education but it feels like if I can’t get this why try?
tl;dr Can someone help me cement the concepts of Sensitivity and Specificity by explaining it like I’m 5??
Thank you
In: 2
Sensitivity is “how likely are you to detect X if X is actually present” (few false negatives)
Specificity is “if the test detects X, how likely is it that X is actually present” (few false positives)
So high sensitivity low specificity would mean your test triggers almost guaranteed when the thing is present, but it can also trigger for many other things that aren’t what you’re looking for.
Vice versa a low sensitivity high specificity test would miss the thing you’re looking for often, but when it triggers you can be sure it’s really there.
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