Screening tests are typically the first assessment completed and are used to determine if further diagnostic testing might be needed. Because screening tests are the first step towards diagnosis, they are designed to be more likely to overestimate the true incidence of a disease. Designed to be different from diagnostic tests in that they might demonstrate more positive results than a diagnostic test. This can lead to true positives as well as false positives. Once a screening test is found to be positive, a diagnostic test is then completed to confirm the diagnosis. Next, we will discuss the assessment of diagnostic tests.
Many screening tests are available for physicians and advanced chiropractic practitioners to utilize in their practice. For some tests, there is quite a bit of research demonstrating the benefit of such tests on early diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Alex Jimenez presents appropriate assessment and diagnostic tools used in our office to further clarify and appropriated diagnostic assessments for a variety of health issues, including neck pain, back pain, low back pain, and sciatica.