Established Risk Factors Such as Cholesterol and Obesity Can Predict

question 49

Essay

Established risk factors such as cholesterol and obesity can predict who will get heart disease about 80 percent of the time. Adding a new test called CRP can raise this percentage to 81 percent-a statistically significant difference. But would this improvement be of practical importance to a physician? To a patient? Discuss.

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Definitions:

Contrasted-Groups Method

A statistical method used in psychometrics to validate the effectiveness of a test by comparing the scores of groups with known differing characteristics.

Validity

The degree to which a test, tool, or study accurately measures or assesses what it is intended to.

Reliability

The degree to which an assessment tool produces stable and consistent results over time.

Validity

The extent to which a concept, conclusion or measurement is well-founded and likely corresponds accurately to the real world.