What does a low sensitivity indicate in a medical test?

A low sensitivity in a medical test indicates a high likelihood of missed positive results. Sensitivity refers to the test's ability to correctly identify individuals who have the condition being tested for. When a test has low sensitivity, it means that there is a significant chance that people who actually have the condition will receive a negative test result. This can lead to a situation where true positive cases are overlooked, which is critical in clinical settings as it can delay necessary treatment and further management of the patient.

On the other hand, choices that suggest accurate detection of conditions, consistently reliable results, or high validation of true negatives do not align with the concept of sensitivity. Accurate detection indicates a high rate of sensitivity, while reliable results relate more to the precision and consistency of the test outcomes, and high validation of true negatives pertains to specificity, which is the test's ability to correctly identify those without the condition. Thus, while these alternatives reflect different aspects of test performance, they do not define what low sensitivity means.