What does an approval as a "test of choice" for a medical device means?

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Request for Question Clarification by crabcakes-ga on 06 Jun 2006 12:32 PDT

Can you clarify a bit? Which type of medical device? What is the rest
of the sentence? The more we know, the better answer we can deliver.

Regards, Crabcakes

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Clarification of Question by freemustang-ga on 06 Jun 2006 13:25 PDT

it may halp to get the first question in the seriese answerd. posted for $5.00
"What does the term "test of choice" means in the U.S. healthcare
system?" http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=735790

An example can be measuring infants' weight using analog scale and
then the government decides that it is mandatory for the
measuring\screening from that point forward to use digital scale,
which becomes the "test of choice" for infants body weight.

[An example can be measuring infants' weight using analog scale and
then the government decides that it is mandatory for the
measuring\screening from that point forward to use digital scale,
which becomes the "test of choice" for infants body weight.]

Test of choice = Preferred method

I'm looking for the process description from a government site like Surgeon General.

Well, I'm not aware of the 'test of choice' being a specific
designation.  The process, as I have seen it, is basically like this:
Research in the medical literature suggests a method of testing is
useful.  Further testing may show that it is better than current
methods.  It then may be recommended by large organizations (American
College of Surgeons, American Acadamy of Pediatrics, American Medical
Assn, etc) and at that point really becomes the standard of care.  The
problem is that these things are often changing based on new research
(example: colonoscopy is regarded the test of choice for colon cancer
screening, but some research suggests that high-res CT scan may be
just as good, so that may be the test of choice in a couple years. 
Realistically, either of these are probably fine).  This also
illustrates another balance between various 'tests of choice', as
doctors are often forced to decide between a more definitive test
(with more risk) and a less definitive but safer/cheaper/quicker
alternative.
Hope this helps a little, maybe at least with defining your question.
js