What does a high sensitivity value indicate about a diagnostic test?

A high sensitivity value in a diagnostic test indicates that the test is very effective at correctly identifying individuals who have the disease. Sensitivity measures the proportion of true positives (those who have the disease and are correctly identified by the test) among all individuals who truly have the disease. Thus, a high sensitivity means that the test is good at detecting the presence of the disease, leading to fewer missed cases, or false negatives.

In clinical practice, a highly sensitive test is particularly valuable when the consequences of not detecting a disease (like missing a diagnosis of a serious condition) are significant. It ensures that most patients who actually have the disease will be correctly identified and can receive the appropriate care.

In this context, while factors such as specificity and the rates of false negatives and false positives are important in evaluating a test, a high sensitivity is specifically about the test's ability to accurately identify those with the condition.