Which statement correctly distinguishes prognosis from case fatality rate?

• A. Prognosis is the expected disease outcome for an individual; case fatality rate is the proportion of cases that die from the disease.
• B. Prognosis describes population-level outcomes; CFR describes individual outcomes.
• C. Prognosis is used to predict risk in groups; CFR measures deaths per total cases overall.
• D. Prognosis and CFR are interchangeable.

Answer: (C)

Prognosis is about forecasting the likely course and outcome for a patient or for a defined group, focusing on risk and what to expect as the disease progresses. Case fatality rate (CFR) is a population-level measure that expresses the proportion of diagnosed cases that die, calculated as deaths divided by total cases in a defined time and setting. Because prognosis is used to estimate risk and outcomes in groups or individuals, while CFR summarizes how deadly a disease is in a population by looking at deaths relative to all diagnosed cases, the statement that prognosis is used to predict risk in groups and CFR measures deaths per total cases overall best captures the distinction between the two.