Biomaterial Database

General problems in medical decision making with comments on ROC analysis. 1978

L B Lusted

Medical decision-making studies continue to focus on two questions: How do physicians make decisions? How should physicians make decisions? Researchers pursuing the first question emphasize human cognitive processes and the programming of symbol systems to model observed human behavior. Those researchers concentrating on the second question assume that there is a standard of performance against which the physician's decisions can be judged, and to help the physician improve his performance, an array of tools is proposed. These tools include decision trees, Bayesian analysis, decision matrices, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, and cost-benefit considerations including utility measures. Medical decision-making questions must be answered in an ethical context where ethics and decision analysis are interviewed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008722	Methods	A series of steps taken in order to conduct research.	Techniques,Methodological Studies,Methodological Study,Procedures,Studies, Methodological,Study, Methodological,Method,Procedure,Technique
D011859	Radiography	Examination of any part of the body for diagnostic purposes by means of X-RAYS or GAMMA RAYS, recording the image on a sensitized surface (such as photographic film).	Radiology, Diagnostic X-Ray,Roentgenography,X-Ray, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X-Ray,Diagnostic X-Ray Radiology,X-Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X Ray,Diagnostic X Ray Radiology,Diagnostic X-Rays,Radiology, Diagnostic X Ray,X Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,X Ray, Diagnostic,X-Rays, Diagnostic
D003201	Computers	Programmable electronic devices designed to accept data, perform prescribed mathematical and logical operations at high speed, and display the results of these operations.	Calculators, Programmable,Computer Hardware,Computers, Digital,Hardware, Computer,Calculator, Programmable,Computer,Computer, Digital,Digital Computer,Digital Computers,Programmable Calculator,Programmable Calculators
D003362	Cost-Benefit Analysis	A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measure of total return expected per unit of money spent. This analysis generally excludes consideration of factors that are not measured ultimately in economic terms. In contrast a cost effectiveness in general compares cost with qualitative outcomes.	Cost and Benefit,Cost-Benefit Data,Benefits and Costs,Cost Benefit,Cost Benefit Analysis,Cost-Utility Analysis,Costs and Benefits,Economic Evaluation,Marginal Analysis,Analyses, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Utility,Analysis, Marginal,Benefit and Cost,Cost Benefit Analyses,Cost Benefit Data,Cost Utility Analysis,Cost-Benefit Analyses,Cost-Utility Analyses,Data, Cost-Benefit,Economic Evaluations,Evaluation, Economic,Marginal Analyses
D003657	Decision Making	The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea.	Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D003951	Diagnostic Errors	Incorrect or incomplete diagnoses following clinical or technical diagnostic procedures.	Diagnostic Blind Spots,Errors, Diagnostic,Misdiagnosis,Blind Spot, Diagnostic,Blind Spots, Diagnostic,Diagnostic Blind Spot,Diagnostic Error,Error, Diagnostic,Misdiagnoses
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001499	Bayes Theorem	A theorem in probability theory named for Thomas Bayes (1702-1761). In epidemiology, it is used to obtain the probability of disease in a group of people with some characteristic on the basis of the overall rate of that disease and of the likelihood of that characteristic in healthy and diseased individuals. The most familiar application is in clinical decision analysis where it is used for estimating the probability of a particular diagnosis given the appearance of some symptoms or test result.	Bayesian Analysis,Bayesian Estimation,Bayesian Forecast,Bayesian Method,Bayesian Prediction,Analysis, Bayesian,Bayesian Approach,Approach, Bayesian,Approachs, Bayesian,Bayesian Approachs,Estimation, Bayesian,Forecast, Bayesian,Method, Bayesian,Prediction, Bayesian,Theorem, Bayes
D012887	Skull Fractures	Fractures of the skull which may result from penetrating or nonpenetrating head injuries or rarely BONE DISEASES (see also FRACTURES, SPONTANEOUS). Skull fractures may be classified by location (e.g., SKULL FRACTURE, BASILAR), radiographic appearance (e.g., linear), or based upon cranial integrity (e.g., SKULL FRACTURE, DEPRESSED).	Linear Skull Fracture,Skull Fracture, Linear,Skull Fracture, Non-Depressed,Non-Depressed Skull Fracture,Fracture, Non-Depressed Skull,Fracture, Skull,Fractures, Linear Skull,Fractures, Non-Depressed Skull,Fractures, Skull,Linear Skull Fractures,Non Depressed Skull Fracture,Non-Depressed Skull Fractures,Skull Fracture,Skull Fracture, Non Depressed,Skull Fractures, Linear,Skull Fractures, Non-Depressed