Interpretation of diagnostic testing strategies for production and economic usefulness.

Abstract

Veterinarians providing reproductive services use a variety of diagnostic testing methods, including physical examination, laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging, and performance record evaluation. The diagnostic end point may be a physical diagnosis of pregnancy, attainment of puberty, or adequate quality and quantity of sperm; furthermore, it may be a medical diagnosis of reproductive tract pathology, presence of an infectious pathogen, or abnormal hormonal status. Proper interpretation of test results requires an understanding of how sensitivity and specificity (as measures of test accuracy), and prevalence of the condition, affect the interpretation of an individual result. For many diagnostic questions, the proper use of more than one test, either in series or in parallel, allows veterinarians to optimize their diagnostic accuracy and the economic return for the testing strategy.