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Repeated Testing: An Overview and Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2009

Harold C. Sox
Harold C. Sox
Affiliation:
Dartmouth Medical School
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Abstract

Physicians often obtain the same test over and over again. This article first considers screening tests, such as mammographic screening for breast cancer, and describes several proposals for finding the interval that best balances cost, harms, and benefits. The same principles apply to monitoring a patient for recurrence of a disease, such as bladder cancer. The article closes with a theoretical consideration of the circumstances for repeating a test once to check a surprising value.

Type
Special Section: The Use And Abuse Of Low-Cost Technologies
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , Fall 1997 , pp. 512 - 520
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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References

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