VITA - An Interactive 3-D Visualization System to Enhance Student Understanding of Mathematical Concepts in Medical Decision-Making

Diagnostic tests are characterized by multiple performance measures whose complex mutual interactions are difficult for medical and nursing students to understand. We describe VITA (visual and interactive test analysis), an interactive multi-dimensional visualization system designed to display the intricate, non-linear relationships between these measures. This version of VITA has a focus on post-test predictive values, sensitivity, specificity, prevalence, and test cut-offs. VITA can help students to understand and appreciate the complex non-linear relationships inherent in medical decision-making.