Quantitative evaluation of human visual detection performance using empirical receiver operating characteristic curves
- eds.
A basic problem in scintigraphy which will become increasingly important as new imaging devices and new image processing techniques are introduced is that of objectively evaluating any given imaging procedure in terms which will permit meaningful comparison of procedures. Since the clinical usefulness of any scintigraphic image depends upon the ability of human observers to extract information from it, and since the relationship between physical parameters of an image and the ability of human observers to perceive features in the image is not at all clear at present, meaningful conclusions regarding the relative quality of images produced by two procedures can only be decided empirically by measuring the ability of human observers to reach correct decisions after viewing the images. A method of observer performance analysis originally introduced in the field of radar detection and now common in psychophysics is measurement of a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve, which is essentially a plot of the conditional probability of true positive decisions regarding the presence or absence of a signal in the visual field (i.e., probability of a positive response given that a signal is present) versus the conditional probability of false positive decisions (i.e., probability of a positive response given that no signal is present) as the observer's detection threshold or degree of conservatism in calling a questionable situation positive is varied. The possibility of employing ROC curves for evaluation of medical decision making and evaluating radiographic screen-film systems for detection of small image details is discussed. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Center for Radiologic Image Research, Chicago; Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA)
- NSA Number:
- NSA-33-009658
- OSTI ID:
- 4124366
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-730687--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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