clinical validity
(KLIH-nih-kul vuh-LIH-dih-tee)
A term that refers to the predictive value of a test for a given clinical outcome (e.g., the likelihood that cancer will develop in someone with a positive test). Clinical validity is primarily determined by the sensitivity and specificity with which a test identifies individuals with a defined clinical condition within a given population. The clinical validity of a genetic test is the likelihood that cancer will develop in someone with a positive test result.