Problem
The data below come from a study that assessed inter-observer variation in the diagnosis of dentoalveolar bone loss (think teeth, gums, and jawbones) using radiographs (x-rays). In each table, you can see the two observers reading the films and their diagnosis of patients with vertical or horizontal bone loss using either a panoramic X-ray and CT scan.
Table 1. Kappa Results for Inter-Observer Variability in Diagnosis of Bone Loss using Panoramic X-Rays or CT Scans.
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Oral Radiologist vs. Head & Neck Radiologist
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Oral Radiologist vs. Dental Student
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Oral Radiologist vs. Ear-, Nose-, & Throat-Specialist
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Vertical Bone Loss Diagnosed using Panoramic X-ray
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0.163
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0.095
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0.039
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Horizontal Bone Loss Diagnosed using Panoramic X-ray
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0.416
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0.377
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0.455
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Vertical Bone Loss Diagnosed using CT Scan
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0.158
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0.126
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0.001
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Horizontal Bone Loss Diagnosed using CT Scan
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0.246
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0.269
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0.132
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Using this information [for bonus], answer the following questions:
I. Which type of bone loss AND method of diagnosis shows the BEST reliability? What about the WORST?
II. Overall, which two observers demonstrated the BEST reliability in their diagnoses? Which two observers demonstrated the WORST?