Which outcome would suggest a negative test for a highly sensitive diagnostic test?

A highly sensitive diagnostic test is designed to correctly identify individuals who have a specific disease or condition by minimizing false negatives. Thus, in the context of the question, a negative test result from a highly sensitive diagnostic test typically indicates that the patient does not have the disease in question. This is important because a highly sensitive test aims to detect as many true cases of the disease as possible.

When a patient does not have the disease, the expected outcome of a highly sensitive test would indeed return a negative result, confirming the absence of the disease. This strengthens the reliability of the test in ruling out conditions, allowing healthcare providers to make informed decisions about diagnosis and treatment.

In cases where the test result is inconclusive or indicates the need for further testing, these would not be definitive negative results. Therefore, those scenarios do not indicate that the test has successfully ruled out the disease.