Gold standard (test)

For tests performed on actual gold, see Metallurgical assay. For other uses, see Gold standard (disambiguation).

In medicine and medical statistics, the gold standard, criterion standard,[1] or reference standard[2] is the diagnostic test or benchmark that is the best available under reasonable conditions.[3] It is the test against which new tests are compared to gauge their validity, and it is used to evaluate the efficacy of treatments.[1]

The meanings may differ between practical medicine and the statistical ideal because, in medicine with some conditions, only an autopsy guarantees diagnostic certainty, thus the gold standard test would be the best one that keeps the patient alive instead of the autopsy. In these cases, even so-called "gold standard" tests require follow-up to confirm or refute the diagnosis.[4]

  1. ^ a b Borowitz D, Aronoff N, Cummings LC, Maqbool A, Mulberg AE (April 2022). "Coefficient of Fat Absorption to Measure the Efficacy of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy in People With Cystic Fibrosis: Gold Standard or Coal Standard?". Pancreas. 51 (4): 310–318. doi:10.1097/MPA.0000000000002016. PMC 9257055. PMID 35695742.
  2. ^ Gold, R; Reichman, M; Greenberg, E; Ivanidze, J; Elias, E; Tsiouris, AJ; Comunale, JP; Johnson, CE; Sanelli, PC (September 2010). "Developing a new reference standard: is validation necessary?". Academic Radiology. 17 (9): 1079–82. doi:10.1016/j.acra.2010.05.021. PMC 2919497. PMID 20692619.
  3. ^ Versi E (July 1992). ""Gold standard" is an appropriate term". BMJ. 305 (6846): 187. doi:10.1136/bmj.305.6846.187-b. PMC 1883235. PMID 1515860.
  4. ^ Fardy, John M.; Barrett, Brendan J. (2015). "Evaluation of Diagnostic Tests". Clinical Epidemiology (PDF). Methods in Molecular Biology. Vol. 1281. pp. 289–300. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2428-8_17. ISBN 978-1-4939-2427-1. PMID 25694317.