STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY .3. RECEIVER OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC (ROC) CURVES

Measures including sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values have been traditionally used to assess a diagnostic test's ability to detect the presence or absence of disease, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis allows visual evaluatio n of the trade-offs between sensitivity and specificity associated wit h different values of the test result, or different ''cutpoints'' for defining a positive result The purpose of this article is to define, c onstruct, and interpret a ROC curve using a hypothetical example appli cable to emergency medicine practice.