Diagnostic Test Accuracy Filters
Inclusion of a search filter on this site is not an endorsement of its validity or a recommendation for its use by the editors of this site, by the InterTASC Information Specialists SubGroup or by the (UK) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). For suggestions on the appraisal of filters see the ISSG Search Filter Appraisal Checklist.
This page shows publications that have reviewed search filter performance and individual search filters.
Please note that other filter sites/filter collections may have relevant filters for this topic.
Publications that review search filter performance
Rogerson TE; Ladhani M; Mitchell R; Craig JC; Webster AC. Efficient strategies to find diagnostic test accuracy studies in kidney journals. Nephrology. 2015; 20(8):513-8.
Beynon R, Leeflang MM, McDonald S, Eisinga A, Mitchell RL, Whiting P, Glanville JM. Search strategies to identify diagnostic accuracy studies in MEDLINE and EMBASE. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013 Sep 11;2013(9):MR000022. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.MR000022.pub3. PMID: 24022476; PMCID: PMC7390022.
Relevo R. Chapter 4: effective search strategies for systematic reviews of medical tests. J Gen Intern Med. 2012; 27 Suppl 1:S28-32
Geersing GJ, Bouwmeester W, Zuithoff P, Spijker R, Leeflang M, Moons K. Search filters for finding prognostic and diagnostic prediction studies in medline to enhance systematic reviews. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e32844
Mann R, Gilbody S M . Should methodological filters for diagnostic test accuracy studies be used in systematic reviews of psychometric instruments? A case study involving screening for postnatal depression. Syst Rev. 2012;1:9 doi:10.1186/2046-4053-1-9
Lokker C, Haynes RB, Wilczynski NL, McKibbon KA, Walter SD. Retrieval of diagnostic and treatment studies for clinical use through PubMed and PubMed's Clinical Queries filters. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2011;18(5):652-9. Epub 2011 Jun 15.
Whiting P, Westwood M, Beynon R, Burke M, Sterne J, Glanville J. Inclusion of methodological filters in searches for diagnostic test accuracy studies misses relevant studies. J Clin Epidemiol. 2011; 64(6): 602-607.
also presented at Methods for Evaluating Medical Tests. First International Symposium; 2008 July 24-25; University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK and also at the 16th Cochrane Colloquium: Evidence in the era of globalisation; 2008 Oct 3-7; Freiburg, Germany [abstract]. Zeitschrift fur Evidenz, Fortbildung und Qualitat im Gesundheitswesen 2008;102(Suppl VI):10.)
Comment: Kastner M et al. Inclusion of methodological filters in searches for diagnostic test accuracy studies misses relevant studies. J Clin Epidemiol 2012;65(1): 116-117; author reply 117-118.
Kastner M, Wilczynski NL, McKibbon AK, Garg AX, Haynes RB. Diagnostic test systematic reviews: bibliographic search filters ("Clinical Queries") for diagnostic accuracy studies perform well. J Clin Epidemiol. 2009 ;62(9):974-81.
Ritchie G, Glanville J, Lefebvre C. Do published search filters to identify diagnostic test accuracy studies perform adequately? Health Info Libr J. 2007;24(3):188-92.
Also presented as Glanville J, Ritchie G, Lefebvre C. How well do published search filters perform in finding diagnostic test accuracy studies? [abstract]. Methods for Evaluating Medical Tests. First International Symposium; 2008 July 24-25; University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK:18.
Leeflang MM, Scholten RJ, Rutjes AW, Reitsma JB, Bossuyt PM. Use of methodological search filters to identify diagnostic accuracy studies can lead to the omission of relevant studies. J Clin Epidemiol. 2006;59(3):234-40.
Alldred S, Hampson L, Neilson J, Alfirevic Z, Deeks J. Comparison of two different search strategies in identifying literature for a diagnostic test accuracy review of Down's syndrome screening [abstract]. 14th Cochrane Colloquium; 2006 October 23-26; Dublin, Ireland .
Doust JA, Pietrzak E, Sanders S, Glasziou PP. Identifying studies for systematic reviews of diagnostic tests was difficult due to the poor sensitivity and precision of methodologic filters and the lack of information in the abstract. J Clin Epidemiol. 2005;58(5):444-9.
Mitchell R, Rinaldi F, Craig J. Performance of published search strategies for studies of diagnostic test accuracy (SDTAs) in MEDLINE and EMBASE [abstract]. XIII Cochrane Colloquium; 2005 Oct 22-26; Melbourne, Australia:33.
Individual search filters
Database indexing changes over time and new vocabulary may be introduced. With older filters, please check the subject indexing to ensure that the subject indexing is still current and, if not, consider whether new vocabulary may need to be added to the filter. Please note that if filters are amended, the performance may change from that published in the original articles and the filter should be reported as amended from the original filter.
Cochrane Library
Huang Y, Yang Z, Wang J, Zhuo L, Li Z, Zhan S. Performance of search strategies to retrieve systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy from the Cochrane Library. J Evid Based Med. 2016; 9(2): 77–83
Erratum: Anonymous Erratum. J Evid Based Med 2017;10(4): 332-333.
Embase
Chojecki D & Kung J. A Filter to Retrieve Diagnostic Studies from the OVID EMBASE Database. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Filters to retrieve diagnostic studies May 2023 [Ovid]
Gurung P, Makineli, S., Spijker, R, Leeflang, M The Emtree term “diagnostic test accuracy study” retrieved less than half of the diagnostic accuracy studies in Embase. J Clin Epidemiol 2020; 126: 116-121.
Fraser C, Mowatt G, Siddiqui R, Burr J. Searching for diagnostic accuracy studies: an application to screening for open angle glaucoma (OAG) [abstract]. XIV Cochrane Colloquium; 2006 October 23-26; Dublin, Ireland:88.
Wilczynski NL, Haynes, RB, for the HEDGES team. EMBASE search strategies for identifying methodologically sound diagnostic studies for use by clinicians and researchers. BMC Medicine. 2005, 3:7.
Bachmann LM, Estermann P, Kronenberg C, ter Riet G. Identifying diagnostic accuracy studies in EMBASE. J Med Libr Assoc. 2003;91(3):341-6.
Ovid Diagnostic studies search filter [undated]
SIGN search filters [undated] [Ovid]
Launch search filter for Ovid (subscribers only)
LILACS
Pereira RA, Puga MEDS, Atallah ÁN, Macedo EC, Macedo CR. lilacs search strategy for systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy studies. Health Info Libr J. 2019 Sep;36(3):223-243.
MEDLINE
Chojecki D & Kung J. A Filter to Retrieve Diagnostic Studies from the OVID MEDLINE Database. Geoffrey & Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta. Filters to retrieve diagnostic studies May 2023 [Ovid]
Kok R; Verbeek JA; Faber B; van Dijk FJ; Hoving JL. A search strategy to identify studies on the prognosis of work disability: a diagnostic test framework. BMJ Open. 2015; 5(5):e006315. [Note: filter available in supplementary file ]
Ladhani M, Rogerson T, Mitchel R, Craig J C, Webster A C. Search strategies for locating diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies in nephrology journals. Nephrology. 2012;17 Suppl S2:10-25.
Shaikh N, Badgett RG, Ketchum AM, Wilczynski NL, McKibbon KA, Haynes RB. Development of search strategies for retrieving studies on the accuracy of signs and symptoms. Poster presentation: 16th Cochrane Colloquium: Evidence in the era of globalisation; 2008 Oct 3-7; Freiburg, Germany [abstract]. Zeitschrift fur Evidenz, Fortbildung und Qualitat im Gesundheitswesen. 2008;102(Suppl VI):89.
Astin MP, Brazzelli MG, Fraser CM, Counsell CE, Needham G, Grimshaw JM. Developing a sensitive search strategy in MEDLINE to retrieve studies on assessment of the diagnostic performance of imaging techniques. Radiology. 2008;247(2):365-73.
Fraser C, Mowatt G, Siddiqui R, Burr J. Searching for diagnostic test accuracy studies: an application to screening for open angle glaucoma (OAG) [abstract]. XIV Cochrane Colloquium; 2006 October 23-26; Dublin, Ireland:88.
Berg A, Fleischer S, Behrens J. Development of two search strategies for literature in MEDLINE-PubMed: nursing diagnoses in the context of evidence-based nursing. Int J Nurs Terminol Classif. 2005;16(2):26-32. [PubMed]
Haynes RB, Wilczynski NL. Optimal search strategies for retrieving scientifically strong studies of diagnosis from Medline: analytical survey. BMJ. 2004 ;328(7447):1040. Also at: http://hiru.mcmaster.ca/hiru/HIRU_Hedges_MEDLINE_Strategies.aspx
Sperr, E V. Mind the gap: identifying what is missed when searching only the broad scope with clinical queries. J Med Libr Assoc 2019;107(3):333–340.
The performance of the Haynes et al strategies have been reassessed in 2012/2013 in MEDLINE clinical queries are robust when searching in recent publishing years.
Editorial. Sanders, S & Del Mar C. Clever searching for evidence. BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 2005;330(7501):1162-1163.
Vincent S, Greenley S, Beaven O. Clinical evidence diagnosis: developing a sensitive search strategy to retrieve diagnostic studies on deep vein thrombosis: a pragmatic approach. Health Info Libr J. 2003;20(3):150-9. [Ovid]
Bachmann LM, Coray R, Estermann P, Ter Riet G. Identifying diagnostic studies in MEDLINE: reducing the number needed to read. J Am Medi Inform Assoc. 2002;9(6):653-8.
Deville WL, Buntinx F, Cochrane Methods Group on Screening and Diagnostic Tests. Guidelines for conducting systematic reviews of studies evaluating the accuracy of diagnostic tests. In: Knotterus JA (editor). The evidence base of clinical diagnosis. London: BMJ Books, 2002:145-65.
Deville WL, Buntinx F, Bouter LM, Montori VM, de Vet HCW, van der Windt D, Bezemer PD. Conducting systematic reviews of diagnostic studies: didactic guidelines. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2002;2:9. [PubMed]
Deville WLJM, Brezemer PD, Bouter LM. Publications on diagnostic test evaluation in family medicine journals: an optimal search strategy. J Clin Epidemiol. 2000;53(1):65-9.
van der Weijden T, Ijzermans CJ, Dinant GJ, van Duijn NP, de Vet R, Buntinx F. Identifying relevant diagnostic studies in MEDLINE. The diagnostic value of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and dipstick as an example. Fam Pract. 1997;14(3):204-8. [SilverPlatter]
OVID diagnostic studies search filter [undated]
SIGN search filters [undated] [Ovid]
Launch the SIGN filter on Ovid (subscribers only)
PsycINFO
University of Texas School of Public Health. Search filters for test or instrument construction/validity/reliability. Accessed 06 Dec 2013. [Ovid]