What is a characteristic outcome of low sensitivity in a diagnostic test?

A diagnostic test with low sensitivity means that it fails to correctly identify many individuals who actually have the condition being tested for, leading to a high rate of false negatives. This characteristic outcome reflects the test's inability to detect the disease in positive cases, which can be particularly problematic in clinical settings, as it may falsely reassure patients that they do not have the condition when they actually do.

The emphasis on false negatives highlights the importance of sensitivity in diagnostic testing. A test with high sensitivity is desired in situations where failing to identify a disease could have significant consequences, such as in screening for infectious diseases or cancers. While high specificity, agglutination of cells, and reduction in test time may be relevant to other aspects of diagnostic tests, they do not directly correlate with the outcome of low sensitivity. Thus, the presence of many false negatives is the defining characteristic that aligns with low sensitivity in a diagnostic test.