Evidence-appraisal glossary
Diagnostic threshold
The cutoff value of a continuous test result at or beyond which the test is called positive; where the threshold is set determines the trade-off between sensitivity and specificity.
Also called: cutoff, cut-point, positivity threshold.
Many tests produce a number rather than a yes or no, so a threshold must be chosen to declare a result positive or negative. Lowering the threshold catches more true cases but also flags more healthy people, raising sensitivity while lowering specificity, and raising it does the reverse. The best threshold depends on how bad a missed case is compared with a false alarm, which is a clinical and value judgment, not something the data alone can settle.
This is a plain-language methodology definition for reading research. It is general education, not medical advice.