Systematic reviews of diagnostic accuracy studies

Patrick Bossuyt, Graziella Filippini, Roberto D'Amico, Henrica de Vet

Objectives: The aim of the workshop is to provide tools for:

framing the question;

establishing eligibility criteria from the type of question;

searching for diagnostic test accuracy studies.

Summary: Systematic reviews on the accuracy of diagnostic tests are set up to inform decisions about using or selecting diagnostic tests. The diagnostic question to be answered has to be carefully formulated, and determines the appropriate research approach. Topics to be discussed in this workshop will include:

an explanation and examples of the most relevant types of questions;

the key components to be included in the objective of the review;

how to define and use the question components;

how to develop an adequate search strategy.

The workshop will include:

brief presentations (45 minutes);

small groups exercises and discussion using patient scenarios which clinicians encounter on the hospital wards or in clinics (45 minutes).

Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and deal with the complexity of clinical diagnostic questions. Training material will be distributed. Target audience: Review authors who are working on, or planning to start work on diagnostic systematic reviews. Review authors who want to critically appraise diagnostic systematic reviews. Level of knowledge required to attend: intermediate.

Dublin 2006 -- W06