Egyptian Board Family Medicine key terms

The estimated chance that a patient has a target condition before any test is done, based on age, sex, symptoms and setting. It determines whether a positive or negative result meaningfully changes management.

A ratio comparing how often a given test result occurs in people with the disease versus those without it. Values above 1 raise the probability of disease; values below 1 lower it; 1 means no information.

The proportion of people who truly have a condition and are correctly identified by a test. A highly sensitive test is useful for ruling out disease when the result is negative.

The proportion of people without a condition who are correctly identified as disease-free by a test. A highly specific test is useful for confirming disease when the result is positive.

The probability that a person with a positive test result actually has the disease. It depends heavily on disease prevalence in the tested population, so it falls when the condition is rare.

The number of patients who must receive an intervention for one additional person to benefit over a defined period. It is the reciprocal of the absolute risk reduction and expresses clinical effort required.

The arithmetic difference in event rates between a control group and a treated group, expressed as a percentage or proportion. It reflects real clinical benefit better than relative risk reduction alone.

A range of values within which the true population estimate is likely to lie, usually stated at 95 percent. Its width shows the precision of a study result and whether it excludes a null value.

Analysing trial participants in the groups to which they were originally assigned, regardless of whether they completed or adhered to treatment. It preserves randomization and gives a conservative estimate of effectiveness.

Allocating study participants to comparison groups by chance, which balances known and unknown confounders between groups. It is the defining feature that allows a trial to support causal claims.

Distortion of an observed association because a third factor is linked both to the exposure and to the outcome. It can create or hide a true effect and is addressed by design or statistical adjustment.

Systematic error arising when the people included in a study, or the way they are grouped, differ from the population the results are meant to represent. It threatens external validity and comparability of groups.

Apparent improvement in survival caused only by earlier detection of disease, without any postponement of death. It makes screening programmes look effective when they merely shift the date of diagnosis.

The tendency of screening to detect slow-growing, less aggressive disease preferentially, because such cases remain detectable for longer. It inflates apparent survival in screened groups compared with unscreened groups.

Detection of a condition that would never have caused symptoms or death during the patient's lifetime. It leads to unnecessary treatment, anxiety and cost, and is a major harm of screening programmes.

A test applied to asymptomatic people to identify those at higher risk of a condition, who are then offered confirmatory diagnosis. It must be acceptable, valid and linked to an effective intervention.

The number of asymptomatic people who must undergo a screening test for one clinically important outcome to be prevented or one case to be detected. It expresses the effort and cost of a screening programme.

A condition that clinicians and laboratories are legally required to report to public health authorities, enabling surveillance, outbreak investigation and control measures. The list and reporting timelines are set nationally.

The ongoing systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health data, linked to timely dissemination and action. It underpins outbreak detection, programme monitoring and public health priority setting.

Indirect protection of susceptible people that arises when a sufficiently high proportion of a population is immune, interrupting chains of transmission. The threshold varies with how contagious the pathogen is.

Identifying people who may have been exposed to an infectious case, then informing, testing, isolating or treating them as appropriate. It aims to interrupt transmission before further spread occurs.

The number of new cases of a condition arising in a population over a defined period, divided by the population at risk. It measures how fast new disease is occurring and is used for aetiological research.

The proportion of a population that has a condition at a specified point or period, counting both old and new cases. It reflects disease burden and drives predictive values of diagnostic tests.

The ratio of the risk of an outcome in an exposed group to the risk in an unexposed group. It indicates strength of association in cohort studies but does not by itself show absolute benefit.

The ratio of the odds of exposure among cases to the odds of exposure among controls, or of outcome odds between groups. It approximates relative risk for rare outcomes and is standard in case-control studies.

A quality improvement method in which performance is measured against explicit standards, changes are implemented, and performance is re-measured. It differs from research because it evaluates local practice rather than producing generalizable knowledge.

Systematically developed statements that assist clinicians and patients in choosing appropriate care for specific circumstances. Good guidelines state evidence strength, are dated, and are adapted to local resources.

A ranking of study designs by their vulnerability to bias, usually placing systematic reviews of randomized trials at the top and expert opinion or case reports near the bottom. The ranking applies to therapy questions, not all questions.

The structured assessment of a study's validity, results and relevance to a specific patient. It asks whether the design was sound, whether the effect size matters, and whether the population resembles one's own.

A patient's voluntary agreement to an intervention after receiving adequate information about its nature, benefits, risks, alternatives and the consequences of refusal. It requires capacity, disclosure, comprehension and freedom from coercion.

A patient's ability to understand relevant information, appreciate its significance for their situation, reason through options and communicate a choice. It is task-specific and assessed clinically rather than by diagnosis alone.

The legal and ethical standard used when a patient lacks capacity, requiring decisions that promote their welfare, weighing benefits and burdens. It should consider the patient's known values and the least restrictive option.

A written or recorded statement made while a person has capacity, specifying preferred future treatment or appointing a substitute decision-maker. It guides care once the person can no longer express wishes.

The professional duty to keep patient information private and share it only with those who need it for care, or where law or overriding public interest permits. Breach must be justified, minimal and documented.

The limit between a clinician's professional role and personal relationship with a patient, protecting both from exploitation and impaired judgement. Crossing it, especially sexual or financial involvement, is misconduct.

Holistic care for people with serious illness that relieves pain and other distressing symptoms and addresses psychological, social and spiritual needs. It is appropriate from diagnosis onward, alongside disease-directed treatment.

A syndrome of reduced physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors, often marked by unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slow gait and low activity. It predicts falls, hospitalization and mortality.

A multidimensional, interdisciplinary evaluation of an older person's medical, functional, cognitive, psychological and social status, producing a coordinated care plan. It improves outcomes when linked to sustained follow-up.

The concurrent use of multiple medicines, commonly five or more, which raises the risk of interactions, adverse effects and non-adherence. Regular structured review with deprescribing is the main safeguard.

An injury or harm resulting from use of a medicine, whether or not the medicine was used correctly. It includes predictable side effects, dose-related toxicity, allergic reactions and medication errors.