Question

Which of the following best describes an overdiagnosis bias?

a. Slow-progressing cases of disease with a better prognosis are more likely to be identified than faster-progressing cases of disease with a poorer prognosis;
b. Screening advances the time of diagnosis, making it difficult to evaluate survival;
c. Occurs when screening identifies an illness that would not have shown clinical signs before a person's death from other causes;
d. When the choice of study participants is healthier than the general population, making screening look good;
e. None of the answers listed;

Answer 1

Overdiagnosis is the diagnosis of "disease" that will never cause symptoms or death during a patient's ordinarily expected lifetime. Overdiagnosis is a side effect of screening for early forms of disease. Overdiagnosis occurs when a disease is diagnosed correctly, but the diagnosis is irrelevant.