Olsen

Appraisal of: Olsen M, Zhele, Z, Hunt H, Peters J L, Bossuyt P, Hyde, C. Use of test accuracy study design labels in NICE's diagnostic guidance. Diagn Progn Res 2019;3:17. DOI: 10.1186/s41512-019-0062-9.

Reviewers:

Julie Glanville

Full reference:

Olsen M, Zhele, Z, Hunt H, Peters J L, Bossuyt P, Hyde, C. Use of test accuracy study design labels in NICE's diagnostic guidance. Diagn Progn Res 2019;3:17. DOI: 10.1186/s41512-019-0062-9.

Short description:

This study explored the terminology used within NICE diagnostic guidance to describe diagnostic test accuracy studies. The authors examined 20 guidance documents and found that terminology was variable and inconsistent and that this would hinder readers’ ability to identify similar designs or outcomes within guidance.

Limitations stated by the study author(s):

The authors acknowledged that the terminology assessed was not verified and their definitions might have been broad rather than detailed.

Limitations stated by the reviewers:

This is an assessment of guidance documents rather than primary studies and reflects consistency issues within documents produced by a single organisation.

SuRe Info keywords (pre-defined tags):

diagnostic test accuracy studies

Study type:

Audit

Comments from the author(s):

The usefulness of this paper is in providing a vocabulary of terms which could feature in filter design and which can alert searchers to the variation in terminology and lack of consistency in the DTA research field.