I teach doctors how to interpret test results – and the labels ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ often hide what matters most

By Amiran Baduashvili, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz, The Conversation · October 12, 2026

Labeling medical test results as ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’ helps clinicians make quick judgments when diagnosing patients. But this binary approach to interpreting tests can lead to fatal errors.

More in Analysis

Analysis· The Conversation

California is taking a beating from an unusually destructive 2026 hurricane season

By Nicholas Grondin, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Tampa · 3h ago

Analysis· The Conversation

Hooked on tuna: People have been harvesting these ocean predators for 44,000 years

By Emma Elliott Smith, Research Associate in Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Torben Rick, Curator of North American Archaeology, Smithsonian Institution · 4h ago

Analysis· The Conversation

300 glaciers have disappeared from the American West since the mid-20th century – the survivors have a few things in common

By Andrew Fountain, Professor of Geography, Portland State University · 4h ago