HS 300 Final Exam UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
primary prevention to remove or avoid a risk factor before disease develops (e.g. vaccination)
secondary prevention detect a disease when it is pre-symptomatic (e.g. screening test such as a
mammogram)
tertiary prevention interventions to minimize disability (e.g. rehab)
screening test a test or series of tests to which an individual submits to determine whether
enough evidence of a disease exists to warrant further diagnostic examination; for
secondary prevention of morbidity and mortality
a good screening test is... simple, rapid, inexpensive, safe, and acceptable
mass screening (population screening) the screening on a large scale of total population groups (e.g. all newborns)
selective or targeted screening screening a subset of the population at high-risk for the disease (e.g. Tay-Sachs
disease in Jewish persons of eastern European extraction)
ad-hoc screening screening interested individuals (e.g. BP screening for hypertension at the mall or
YMCA)
multiphasic screening screening for more than one disease simultaneously among a population group.
Typically includes screening tests, and individual and family history, collect
objective health measurements
social mass screening - condition is important to public health
- effective treatment for individuals with the disease
- adequate diagnosis and treatment facilities available
- favorable cost-benefit ratio
scientific mass screening - natural history of the disease is understood
- an identifiable early asymptomatic phase
ethical mass screening - suitable screening test available
- test acceptable to the population
- screening program should be an ongoing, continuous process
- screening program shown to be effective in reducing morbidity or mortality
from the disease
, reliability the ability of the test to give consistent results on repeated trials (whether correct
or incorrect)
reliability depends on... - variability in what is being measured (e.g. fluctuations in BP)
- variability in the method of measurement (slight variations in calibration of
manometer cuff)
- skill with which measurement is made
validity (or accuracy) the ability of a measuring instrument to give a true measure. Can only be
evaluated if there is an accepted and independent method of confirmed the test
measurement
FALSE True or False: It is possible for a measure to be valid but unreliable
measurement error/bias constant errors that are introduced by a faulty measuring device
sensitivity the extent to which a test identifies as positive all individuals who have a given
disease
specificity the extent to which a test identifies as negative all individuals who are free of a
given disease
normal range test results and measurements have a "normal range" that is 2 standard deviations
from the mean to include 95% of asymptomatic population (1 in 20 outside range)
cut point normal vs. abnormal
sensitivity to improve _____ , the cut point used to classify individuals as diseased should be
moved farther in the range of the non-diseased (normal)
specificity to improve ______ , the cut point should be moved farther in the range typically
associated with the disease
stable; unaffected sensitivity and specificity are ________ properties of screening tests and are _____ by
prevalence of the disease
affects; falls; rises Positive and negative predictive value are ______ by prevalence of disease. When
the prevalence of a disease falls, the positive predictive value ____, and the
negative predictive value ______
accuracy of a screening test is.... degree of agreement between the screening test and the gold standard
predictive value a measure of screening program feasibility
CORRECT Answers
primary prevention to remove or avoid a risk factor before disease develops (e.g. vaccination)
secondary prevention detect a disease when it is pre-symptomatic (e.g. screening test such as a
mammogram)
tertiary prevention interventions to minimize disability (e.g. rehab)
screening test a test or series of tests to which an individual submits to determine whether
enough evidence of a disease exists to warrant further diagnostic examination; for
secondary prevention of morbidity and mortality
a good screening test is... simple, rapid, inexpensive, safe, and acceptable
mass screening (population screening) the screening on a large scale of total population groups (e.g. all newborns)
selective or targeted screening screening a subset of the population at high-risk for the disease (e.g. Tay-Sachs
disease in Jewish persons of eastern European extraction)
ad-hoc screening screening interested individuals (e.g. BP screening for hypertension at the mall or
YMCA)
multiphasic screening screening for more than one disease simultaneously among a population group.
Typically includes screening tests, and individual and family history, collect
objective health measurements
social mass screening - condition is important to public health
- effective treatment for individuals with the disease
- adequate diagnosis and treatment facilities available
- favorable cost-benefit ratio
scientific mass screening - natural history of the disease is understood
- an identifiable early asymptomatic phase
ethical mass screening - suitable screening test available
- test acceptable to the population
- screening program should be an ongoing, continuous process
- screening program shown to be effective in reducing morbidity or mortality
from the disease
, reliability the ability of the test to give consistent results on repeated trials (whether correct
or incorrect)
reliability depends on... - variability in what is being measured (e.g. fluctuations in BP)
- variability in the method of measurement (slight variations in calibration of
manometer cuff)
- skill with which measurement is made
validity (or accuracy) the ability of a measuring instrument to give a true measure. Can only be
evaluated if there is an accepted and independent method of confirmed the test
measurement
FALSE True or False: It is possible for a measure to be valid but unreliable
measurement error/bias constant errors that are introduced by a faulty measuring device
sensitivity the extent to which a test identifies as positive all individuals who have a given
disease
specificity the extent to which a test identifies as negative all individuals who are free of a
given disease
normal range test results and measurements have a "normal range" that is 2 standard deviations
from the mean to include 95% of asymptomatic population (1 in 20 outside range)
cut point normal vs. abnormal
sensitivity to improve _____ , the cut point used to classify individuals as diseased should be
moved farther in the range of the non-diseased (normal)
specificity to improve ______ , the cut point should be moved farther in the range typically
associated with the disease
stable; unaffected sensitivity and specificity are ________ properties of screening tests and are _____ by
prevalence of the disease
affects; falls; rises Positive and negative predictive value are ______ by prevalence of disease. When
the prevalence of a disease falls, the positive predictive value ____, and the
negative predictive value ______
accuracy of a screening test is.... degree of agreement between the screening test and the gold standard
predictive value a measure of screening program feasibility
