Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: The Register of Reports of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies (DTAS) is a new initiative for the Cochrane Collaboration. Its purpose is to assist the development of systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy through improving access to DTAS for authors of reviews, assisting with lobbying for improved indexing of primary studies in Medline e.g. use of a Publication Type tag, and providing a resource for methodological research into diagnostic test accuracy studies. It is being managed by the Cochrane Renal Group in Sydney, Australia.
Objectives: To describe the model for the register, and the process by which it is being built and maintained.
Methods: A centralised model has been developed to minimise the impact on time and costs for Cochrane review groups, and maximise consistency and quality of entries in the register. The register is study-based, that is, individual references relating to one study can be grouped under a single study name. A reference group has been formed to provide comment and advice concerning the development of the register. A Reference Manager database has been established, with User Defined and Miscellaneous fields used to code Index Test, Reference Standard, Target Condition, and Study Name. Four main strategies are being used to populate the register: 1. Extracting references to included studies from existing non-Cochrane systematic reviews of DTAS. 2. Screening the results of Medline searches using a combination of methodological MeSH terms and text words. 3. Including DTAS found by authors of pilot Cochrane systematic reviews. 4. Including references from the Cochrane Renal Group's register of DTAS.
Results: 1. Medline (Ovid) and DARE and HTA (Cochrane Library) were searched for non-Cochrane systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy. A total of 1541 records were downloaded (Medline 1018, DARE 226, HTA 297). They covered the years 1987-2007, although no date limit was applied in the search. These were screened, and 602 were deleted as either irrelevant, or the abstract gave no indication that a systematic search for studies had been carried out. Of the remaining 939 there were 487 Medline, 201 DARE, and 251 HTA records. We decided to begin with reviews that had been quality assessed in DARE. References to included studies in these reviews are being downloaded into the register from Medline (or hand-entered if not in Medline). Each reference has brief bibliographic details of the original systematic review included in a separate field. Currently 299 records from 10 systematic reviews have been entered. 2. Combinations of methodological MeSH terms and keywords are being tested to develop a specific search strategy for primary studies. Results from the preferred strategy will be downloaded and screened backwards in time from 2005. An auto alert search will be activated in Ovid to ensure new pre-2006 records are captured as they are indexed in Medline. 3. 72 references have so far been received from authors of pilot reviews. 4. Almost 500 records are being checked and downloaded from the Renal Group Register of DTAS.
Conclusions: The model and format of the register has been established, and a number of strategies are in place to build the register. Some issues will need further exploration with the reference group and Cochrane experts in diagnostic test accuracy. These include what concepts and terms in title and abstract might be relied on to rule-in or rule-out references when screening Medline search results, and how to standardise coding for index tests, reference standards and target condition.
Objectives: To describe the model for the register, and the process by which it is being built and maintained.
Methods: A centralised model has been developed to minimise the impact on time and costs for Cochrane review groups, and maximise consistency and quality of entries in the register. The register is study-based, that is, individual references relating to one study can be grouped under a single study name. A reference group has been formed to provide comment and advice concerning the development of the register. A Reference Manager database has been established, with User Defined and Miscellaneous fields used to code Index Test, Reference Standard, Target Condition, and Study Name. Four main strategies are being used to populate the register: 1. Extracting references to included studies from existing non-Cochrane systematic reviews of DTAS. 2. Screening the results of Medline searches using a combination of methodological MeSH terms and text words. 3. Including DTAS found by authors of pilot Cochrane systematic reviews. 4. Including references from the Cochrane Renal Group's register of DTAS.
Results: 1. Medline (Ovid) and DARE and HTA (Cochrane Library) were searched for non-Cochrane systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy. A total of 1541 records were downloaded (Medline 1018, DARE 226, HTA 297). They covered the years 1987-2007, although no date limit was applied in the search. These were screened, and 602 were deleted as either irrelevant, or the abstract gave no indication that a systematic search for studies had been carried out. Of the remaining 939 there were 487 Medline, 201 DARE, and 251 HTA records. We decided to begin with reviews that had been quality assessed in DARE. References to included studies in these reviews are being downloaded into the register from Medline (or hand-entered if not in Medline). Each reference has brief bibliographic details of the original systematic review included in a separate field. Currently 299 records from 10 systematic reviews have been entered. 2. Combinations of methodological MeSH terms and keywords are being tested to develop a specific search strategy for primary studies. Results from the preferred strategy will be downloaded and screened backwards in time from 2005. An auto alert search will be activated in Ovid to ensure new pre-2006 records are captured as they are indexed in Medline. 3. 72 references have so far been received from authors of pilot reviews. 4. Almost 500 records are being checked and downloaded from the Renal Group Register of DTAS.
Conclusions: The model and format of the register has been established, and a number of strategies are in place to build the register. Some issues will need further exploration with the reference group and Cochrane experts in diagnostic test accuracy. These include what concepts and terms in title and abstract might be relied on to rule-in or rule-out references when screening Medline search results, and how to standardise coding for index tests, reference standards and target condition.