A simple method for evaluating the safety of high-yield criteria

High-yield criteria for selecting patients for further investigation or treatment sometimes may be associated with an increase in the false-negative rate (decrease in sensitivity), when compared with conventional methods of selection. A simple method, suitable for use by nonstatisticians, is presented. It enables the determination of the sample size required to measure the false-negative rate to a given degree of precision, or the smallest increase in false-negative rate that a study of a given size is likely to detect. Examples of use are provided.