Sensitivity is defined as the ability of a test to correctly identify those who have the disease. Which description reflects high sensitivity?

• A. It yields few false positives
• B. It yields high overall accuracy
• C. It yields few false negatives
• D. It yields high predictive value

Answer: (C)

Sensitivity measures how well a test identifies people who actually have the disease. When sensitivity is high, the test correctly flags most true cases, so it misses only a small number of diseased individuals—these missed cases are the false negatives. Therefore, the description that reflects high sensitivity is having few false negatives.

Keep in mind that few false positives describe high specificity, not sensitivity. High overall accuracy can occur with a good balance of sensitivity and specificity and can also be influenced by how common the disease is in the population. Predictive value depends on disease prevalence as well as the test’s performance, so it isn’t a direct measure of sensitivity.