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Review

Introduction to the Methods Guide for Medical Test Reviews

David B Matchar  1
Stephanie M Chang  1 , David B Matchar  2 , Gerald W Smetana  3 , Craig A Umscheid  4
, editors.
In: Methods Guide for Medical Test Reviews [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2012 Jun. Chapter 1.
AHRQ Methods for Effective Health Care.
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Review

Introduction to the Methods Guide for Medical Test Reviews

David B Matchar.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Evaluation of medical tests presents challenges distinct from those involved in the evaluation of therapies; in particular, the very great importance of context and the dearth of comprehensive RCTs aimed at comparing the clinical outcomes of different tests and test strategies. Available guidance provides some suggestions: (1) Use the PICOTS typology for clarifying the context relevant to the review, and (2) Use an organizing framework for classifying the types of medical test evaluation studies and their relationship to potential key questions. However, there is a diversity of recommendations for reviewers of medical tests and a proliferation of concepts, terms, and methods. As a contribution to the field, this Methods Guide for Medical Test Reviews seeks to provide practical guidance to achieving the goal of clarity, consistency, tractability, and usefulness.

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References

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