Talk:Glucose tolerance test
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[edit] Inkblot tests?
Removed the following passage that compares the use of the OGGT to Rorschach tests. This analogy is confusing and not terribly exact. Using a glucose tolerance in this context resembles use of a Rorschach test in that it is often used to support a diagnosis that the patient and doctor are already reaching agreement on based on other evidence, but it is inadequate by itself to confirm or refute the diagnosis (unlike its use for diabetes). Freder1ck 23:15, 1 January 2007 (UTC)Freder1ck
- I thought the sentence is quite clear and vivid: use of the OGTT for diagnosing hypoglycemia and use of the Rorschach for diagnosing anything are quite comparable: both tests have repeatedly shown an inability to separate those with the condition from the general population when doctor and patient are blinded, but in the real world both are interpreted selectively to confirm diagnoses already reached by other methods. In other words both are poor diagnostic tools for those purposes, but many practitioners continue to use them. Patients should be skeptical that either test yields an independent and objectively reproducible confirmation of any diagnosis. alteripse 03:18, 2 January 2007 (UTC)
- Indeed. I would imagine that there are few psychological tests that offer reproducible results comparable to chemical or biological tests. But as it stands, the article presumes that a general reader will see the Rorschach as unreliable and subjective. The statement is unencyclopedic in that it presumes specialized knowledge of another subject and even a particular opinion of that subject. I would hope that an argument by analogy would offer enough detail on the secondary subject so that the reader would grasp what claim is being made. As it stands, the only thing I gather from this passage is that the author (alteripse, I presume), doesn't like the use of GTT for determining reactive hypoglycemia and also doesn't like Rorschach tests. Since the use of Rorschach is controversial, then I would hope you would discuss your criticism on the Rorschach test page. Freder1ck 03:43, 2 January 2007 (UTC)Freder1ck
- I will provide some refs for the unreliability of the OGTT as a stand-alone test for diagnosing hypoglycemia. This not simply my opinion, but is the current consensus among endocrinologists interested in hypoglycemia: you will not find many internet sites mentioning use of the OGTT for this purpose from universities and medical centers. If the Rorschach article is thorough and referenced it will already have citations for the studies documenting its essentially subjective nature. The relevant point for this article is that diabetes is defined and diagnosed by the objective result of an OGTT, while no OGTT studies have been able to distinguish people with hypoglycemic symptoms from those without. Both the Rorschach test and the OGTT for hypoglycemia are relics of mid-twentieth century medicine whose objective usefulness could not be validated despite persistent use by a dwindling minority of old-style practitioners. alteripse 05:20, 2 January 2007 (UTC)
- If I may clarify, my question was not regarding the reliability of the OGTT for reactive hypoglycemia. The difficulty with this section is the analogy between OGTT and the Rorschach. Your analogy works for the person well-read in psychology who shares your opinion of the Rorschach, but falters for the general reader. The Rorschach inkblot test article says that the test is the second most used test for forensic assessment; if this statement is correct, then I wonder about the utility of your analogy, at least for those who do not already share your point of view... Freder1ck 22:35, 2 January 2007 (UTC)Freder1ck
- I will provide some refs for the unreliability of the OGTT as a stand-alone test for diagnosing hypoglycemia. This not simply my opinion, but is the current consensus among endocrinologists interested in hypoglycemia: you will not find many internet sites mentioning use of the OGTT for this purpose from universities and medical centers. If the Rorschach article is thorough and referenced it will already have citations for the studies documenting its essentially subjective nature. The relevant point for this article is that diabetes is defined and diagnosed by the objective result of an OGTT, while no OGTT studies have been able to distinguish people with hypoglycemic symptoms from those without. Both the Rorschach test and the OGTT for hypoglycemia are relics of mid-twentieth century medicine whose objective usefulness could not be validated despite persistent use by a dwindling minority of old-style practitioners. alteripse 05:20, 2 January 2007 (UTC)
- Indeed. I would imagine that there are few psychological tests that offer reproducible results comparable to chemical or biological tests. But as it stands, the article presumes that a general reader will see the Rorschach as unreliable and subjective. The statement is unencyclopedic in that it presumes specialized knowledge of another subject and even a particular opinion of that subject. I would hope that an argument by analogy would offer enough detail on the secondary subject so that the reader would grasp what claim is being made. As it stands, the only thing I gather from this passage is that the author (alteripse, I presume), doesn't like the use of GTT for determining reactive hypoglycemia and also doesn't like Rorschach tests. Since the use of Rorschach is controversial, then I would hope you would discuss your criticism on the Rorschach test page. Freder1ck 03:43, 2 January 2007 (UTC)Freder1ck
