TY - JOUR
T1 - Chapter 6
T2 - Assessing applicability of medical test studies in systematic reviews
AU - Hartmann, K. E.
AU - Matchar, D. B.
AU - Chang, S.
PY - 2012/6
Y1 - 2012/6
N2 - Use of medical tests should be guided by research evidence about the accuracy and utility of those tests in clinical care settings. Systematic reviews of the literature about medical tests must address applicability to real-world decision-making. Challenges for reviews include: (1) lack of clarity in key questions about the intended applicability of the review, (2) numerous studies in many populations and settings, (3) publications that provide too little information to assess applicability, (4) secular trends in prevalence and the spectrum of the condition for which the test is done, and (5) changes in the technology of the test itself. We describe principles for crafting reviews that meet these challenges and capture the key elements from the literature necessary to understand applicability.
AB - Use of medical tests should be guided by research evidence about the accuracy and utility of those tests in clinical care settings. Systematic reviews of the literature about medical tests must address applicability to real-world decision-making. Challenges for reviews include: (1) lack of clarity in key questions about the intended applicability of the review, (2) numerous studies in many populations and settings, (3) publications that provide too little information to assess applicability, (4) secular trends in prevalence and the spectrum of the condition for which the test is done, and (5) changes in the technology of the test itself. We describe principles for crafting reviews that meet these challenges and capture the key elements from the literature necessary to understand applicability.
KW - applicability
KW - diagnostic test
KW - prognostic test
KW - screening test
KW - systematic evidence review
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84862681310&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1007/s11606-011-1961-9
DO - 10.1007/s11606-011-1961-9
M3 - Review article
C2 - 22648674
AN - SCOPUS:84862681310
SN - 0884-8734
VL - 27
SP - S39-S46
JO - Journal of General Internal Medicine
JF - Journal of General Internal Medicine
IS - SUPPL.1
ER -