Likelihood ratios gain favour in research

Dear AuntMinnie India Member,

Published literature keeps us informed about new research and clinical studies. But often, in routine practice we tend to stick to what we learnt in medical school. In this issue, AuntMinnieIndia brings you excerpts from Dr Madhukar Pai's presentation at the Clinical UltraSonography in Practice (CUSP) conference on using likelihood ratios from research studies in routine practice.

What are likelihood ratios? How are they different from sensitivity, specificity, and other measures we come across for assessing the effectiveness of a new imaging technique or modality? These are some of the questions Pai, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, addressed in his presentation and that we bring to you in an article.

In another story we're featuring this week, Dr S. Suresh and Pai jointly tackle the tricky issue of minor ultrasound markers and their role in determining whether invasive testing should be recommended for pregnant women. Armed with the ammunition from these two experts, invasive testing need no longer be a poser -- at least on the question of minor markers.

Happy learning. And before you log off, don't forget to take the AuntMinnieIndia user survey. E-mail your feedback, views, and comments to [email protected].