Understanding the Influence of Patient Factors on Accuracy and Decision-Making in a Diagnostic Accuracy Study with Multiple Raters—A Case Study from Dentistry

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15469743
AutoresKirstin Vach (0000-0001-9278-2203, University of Freiburg, autor de correspondencia), Nadine Schlueter (0000-0001-6414-8950, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover), Carolina Ganss (Philipps University of Marburg), Werner Vach (0000-0003-1865-8399, Basel Academy for Quality and Research in Medicine, Steinenring 6, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland)
Año2023
Volumen20
Número3
Páginas1781-1781
Fecha de publicación2023-01-18
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditorialMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph20031781
PMID36767148
OpenAlexW4317509932
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas30

In diagnostic accuracy studies, the test of interest is typically applied only once in each patient. This paper illustrates some possibilities that arise when diagnoses are carried out by a sufficiently large number of multiple raters. In a dental study, sixty-one examiners were asked to diagnose 49 tooth areas with different grades of tissue loss (minor, moderate, and advanced) to decide whether dentine was exposed (positive status) or not (negative status). The true status was determined by histology (reference). For each tooth, the rate of correct decisions reflecting the difficulty to diagnose this tooth and the positive rate reflecting the perception of the tooth by the raters was computed. Meta-analytical techniques were used to assess the inter-tooth variation and the influence of tooth-specific factors on difficulty or perception, respectively. A huge variation in diagnostic difficulty and perception could be observed. Advanced tissue loss made diagnoses more difficult. The background colour and tissue loss were associated with perception and may hint to cues used by the raters. The use of multiple raters in a diagnostic accuracy study allows detailed investigations which make it possible to obtain further insights into the decision-making process of the raters

Diagnostic accuracy · Medical diagnosis · Pathology · Perception · Radiology · Variation (astronomy · Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills · Dentistry · Medical Malpractice and Liability Issues · Medicine · Psychology · Reliability and Agreement in Measurement · Orthodontics