JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Article entitled “Web-Based Measure of Life Events Using Computerized Life Events and Assessment Record (CLEAR): Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study of Reliability, Validity, and Association with Depression” published in the JMIR MENTAL HEALTH (2019;6(1): 22-27) had methodological issues in validation of Computerized Life Events and Assessment Record (CLEAR). First, there are some measures that can be applied for assessing the validity of a test including Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), Positive Likelihood Ratio (ranging from 1 to infinity; as the higher the LR+, the test is more accurate), Negative Likelihood Ratio (ranging from 0 to 1; as the lower the LR-, the test is more accurate), and odds ratio (ratio of true to false results) but they only use sensitivity and specificity to investigation validity of test. Second, sensitivity is an important measure in public health aspects instead of clinical fields. Likewise, PPV and NPV are among measures which are more appropriate for advice about validity of a diagnostic test for clinical purposes. According to data of study LR+, LR-, odds ratio and diagnostic accuracy of CLEAR will be 1.6, 0.6, 2.6, and 62%, respectively compared to LEDS and 1.9, 0.7, 2.6, and 60%, respectively compared to LTE-Q. So, there is a high level of uncertainty for decision based on these value and there are not sufficient pieces of evidence to conclude that the validity of CLEAR test is acceptable.