American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

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How is Negative Predictive Value (NPV) defined?

  1. TP / (TP + FP)

  2. TN / (TN + FN)

  3. TP / (TP + TN)

  4. FN / (TP + FN)

The correct answer is: TN / (TN + FN)

Negative Predictive Value (NPV) is defined as the proportion of true negatives (TN) among all negative test results. In other words, it indicates how many individuals identified as negative by a diagnostic test do not actually have the disease. This metric is particularly important in clinical settings, as it helps to assess the reliability of a test in ruling out disease. When understanding NPV, it is crucial to recognize that it is calculated using the formula TN / (TN + FN), where TN represents true negatives and FN represents false negatives. True negatives are those cases where the test correctly identifies an absence of the disease, while false negatives are cases that the test incorrectly identifies as negative when the disease is actually present. Thus, the correct definition accurately reflects the clinical significance of NPV in evaluating the effectiveness of a test in providing a negative result. The context of this is relevant in various medical assessments, guiding physicians in making informed decisions based on test results.