False Positives

As a Physician, I know a lot about the theory behind lab tests that we do. I know that all tests have the possibility of False Positives and False Negatives. (A "False Positive" means that the test says you have the disease when actually you don't. A "False Negative" means that the test says you do NOT have the disease, when actually you do.)

Our family had three False Positives this past summer, and speaking as a patient, it was stressful for us. In other words, on three different occasions we were told that an abnormality was present, and then on further testing, found out that actually it was normal.

I had the first one. I went in for my routine Chest X-Ray, that I get every year ever since I had TB (Tuberculosis) some years ago. After the X-Ray, I went back to the Doctor to get the results, and he said, "Hmmmm, your lungs look fine, but one of your vertebrae looks odd. You might have TB of the spine. We have to do more testing."

For me, the results just took a few hours, and it was determined that I do not have TB of the spine.

Then my wife was told she may have an abnormality of the cervix. Since she was almost due, there was nothing more to do until after delivery. So she had to wait two months to do the further testing, and be told that everything is normal.

And then Elijah failed his first hearing screening, which meant that he might be deaf. And it took four visits and lots more testing before someone finally said, "No, that test was false. Your son can hear."

So anyways, everything is fine, but I am disgusted with "False Positives".

As a Physician who routinely orders tests, and had to deal with the fallout of both False Positives and False Negatives, that has been a good "Learning Experience" on being humble and gracious and patient in explaining to patients what a test means.