In the evaluation of diagnostic (or screening) tests specificity refers to the proportion of population without the condition who are correctly diagnosed as being without the condition. It is computed as the ratio of the true negatives to the (true negatives + false positives), and is usually expressed as a percentage. A highly specific diagnostic test is one that identifies very few healthy patients (incorrectly) as having the condition of interest (and needing further follow-up or treatment, without benefit). The term can be applied to search strategies.
How to cite: Specificity [online]. (2016). York; York Health Economics Consortium; 2016. https://yhec.co.uk/glossary/specificity/