CHES (Certified Health Education Specialist) Practice Exam 2026 - Free Health Education Specialist Practice Questions and Study Guide

Sensitivity in the context of disease testing refers to the test's ability to correctly identify individuals who have the disease. Essentially, it measures how well a test can detect true positives, meaning it identifies all those who are affected by the condition being screened for. A test with high sensitivity will catch most individuals with the disease, minimizing the number of false negatives, where individuals who have the disease are incorrectly identified as disease-free.

This aspect of testing is crucial in disease screening, especially for conditions where early detection significantly improves outcomes. For instance, in screening for certain cancers or infectious diseases, a highly sensitive test ensures that most cases are captured for further diagnostic testing or intervention.

The other options do not accurately describe sensitivity. They address different aspects related to diagnostic testing or other concepts, such as specificity, appropriateness of measures across backgrounds, or design types for estimating disease frequency. By focusing on the ability to identify all individuals with the disease, the concept of sensitivity becomes an essential parameter in evaluating the reliability and effectiveness of a screening or diagnostic test.