Intraobserver agreements are when an observer agrees with himself.
Intraobserver agreement is a term used in clinical research and analysis, almost always in conjunction with interobserver agreement. Interobserver agreement is when different observers agree on the interpretation of the same material; intraobserver agreement is when a single observer views the same material on two separate occasions and both interpretations are consistent with each other.
Use
Intraobserver variance doesn't necessarily mean a methodology is of no value.
Intraobserver agreement (or variance) is often used to evaluate analytical methodologies when some aspect of the analysis is subjective or interpretive in nature.
Representation
Percentage is calculated from the number of participants who agreed with themselves and the total number of participants.
Intraobserver agreement is a measurement expressed in terms of a percentage; the total number of single observers whose analysis of a material was the same on two different occasions is divided by the number of participants in the test.
Method
Samples must be unmarked and numerous.
The participant (observer) must be given a sufficient number of unmarked samples in each test period so it cannot be easily ascertained that one of the samples is a duplicate.
Context
Due to subjective factors, doctors rely on a combination of tests to make a diagnosis.
Intraobserver agreement is primarily used to evaluate the reliability of a medical diagnostic test. If a large number of doctors participating in the study provide different diagnoses from the same test results viewed on two separate occasions, it is evidence the test is not reliable as a sole diagnostic indicator.
