An appraisal technique used to determine a person’s probability of developing specific diseases.
A technique for determining for a given individual the factors most likely to result in illness, injury, or premature death. The determination is based on comparing a set of data about the individual (her database) with statistics on the likelihood of specific illnesses, injuries, and causes of death among large groups of persons for whom the same database has been collected and analyzed. Included in the database are the individual’s age, sex, physical condition, genetic background, behavior, environment, and other factors, obtained by examination of the individual, laboratory tests, and information obtained from the person by interview or questionnaire.
An analysis of all that is known about a person’s life and health including personal and family medical history, occupation, and social environment in order to estimate his or her risk of disability or death as compared with the national averages. The data used for comparison will vary with the patient’s age, sex, ethnic background, and income, and the skill of the evaluator and the sensitivity and specificity of the tests used in the evaluation.