Which term refers to the likelihood of mortality among individuals with a specific disease?

Which term refers to the likelihood of mortality among individuals with a specific disease?

• A. Incidence rate
• B. Prevalence rate
• C. Case-fatality rate
• D. Negative predictive value

Answer: (C)

The term that refers to the likelihood of mortality among individuals with a specific disease is the case-fatality rate. This measure indicates the proportion of individuals diagnosed with a disease who ultimately die from that disease within a specific timeframe. It provides valuable information about the severity of the disease and helps in understanding its impact on mortality. For instance, a high case-fatality rate suggests that the disease is particularly lethal, while a low rate implies better outcomes for those who are affected. In contrast, incidence rate describes the number of new cases of a disease that occur in a specific population over a defined period, focusing on the occurrence rather than the outcome. Prevalence rate reflects the total number of existing cases (both new and pre-existing) in a population at a given time, which serves more to inform about how widespread a disease is rather than its lethality. Negative predictive value pertains to the probability that individuals with a negative test result truly do not have the disease, making it unrelated to mortality. Thus, the case-fatality rate is specifically about the mortality aspect of patients with a particular disease.

The term that refers to the likelihood of mortality among individuals with a specific disease is the case-fatality rate. This measure indicates the proportion of individuals diagnosed with a disease who ultimately die from that disease within a specific timeframe. It provides valuable information about the severity of the disease and helps in understanding its impact on mortality. For instance, a high case-fatality rate suggests that the disease is particularly lethal, while a low rate implies better outcomes for those who are affected.

In contrast, incidence rate describes the number of new cases of a disease that occur in a specific population over a defined period, focusing on the occurrence rather than the outcome. Prevalence rate reflects the total number of existing cases (both new and pre-existing) in a population at a given time, which serves more to inform about how widespread a disease is rather than its lethality. Negative predictive value pertains to the probability that individuals with a negative test result truly do not have the disease, making it unrelated to mortality. Thus, the case-fatality rate is specifically about the mortality aspect of patients with a particular disease.