Will QUADAS-C Make a Complicated Task Less Complex?
Authors: Jennifer S. Lin, Reem A. Mustafa
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2021)

EditorialsNovember 2021Will QUADAS-C Make a Complicated Task Less Complex?Jennifer S. Lin, MD, MCR and Reem A. Mustafa, MD, MPH, PhDJennifer S. Lin, MD, MCRKaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, OregonSearch for more papers by this author and Reem A. Mustafa, MD, MPH, PhDThe University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KansasSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M21-3873 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Ideally, clinicians should base decisions regarding the use of health care–related tests and diagnostic strategies (hereafter called tests) on studies assessing the effect of these tests on people-important outcomes. Unfortunately, such studies are often unavailable and clinicians must rely on test accuracy as a surrogate to assess the effect of tests on people-important outcomes (1). Furthermore, tests are often evaluated as a replacement for an existing test or as an addition (simultaneously or sequentially) to a testing strategy already in use in clinical practice. In such situations, the relevant question is, “What is the comparative test accuracy?” For example, to ...References1. Schünemann HJ, Mustafa R, Brozek J, et al; GRADE Working Group. GRADE Guidelines: 16. GRADE evidence to decision frameworks for tests in clinical practice and public health. J Clin Epidemiol. 2016;76:89-98. [PMID: 26931285] doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2016.01.032 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Yang B, Mallett S, Takwoingi Y, et al; QUADAS-C Group. QUADAS-C: a tool for assessing risk of bias in comparative diagnostic accuracy studies. Ann Intern Med. 2021;174:1592-9. doi:10.7326/M21-2234 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Whiting PF, Rutjes AW, Westwood ME, et al; QUADAS-2 Group. QUADAS-2: a revised tool for the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies. Ann Intern Med. 2011;155:529-36. [PMID: 22007046] doi:10.7326/0003-4819-155-8-201110180-00009 LinkGoogle Scholar4. Yang B, Mustafa RA, Bossuyt PM, et al. GRADE Guidance: 31. Assessing the certainty across a body of evidence for comparative test accuracy. J Clin Epidemiol. 2021;136:146-156. [PMID: 33864930] doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.04.001 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Hadgu A. Discrepant analysis: a biased and an unscientific method for estimating test sensitivity and specificity. J Clin Epidemiol. 1999;52:1231-7. [PMID: 10580787] doi:10.1016/s0895-4356(99)00101-8 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Jennifer S. Lin, MD, MCR; Reem A. Mustafa, MD, MPH, PhDAffiliations: Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, OregonThe University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KansasDisclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M21-3873.Corresponding Author: Jennifer S. Lin, MD, MCR, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 North Interstate Avenue, Portland, OR 97227; e-mail, Jennifer.S.[email protected]org.This article was published at Annals.org on 26 October 2021. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoQUADAS-C: A Tool for Assessing Risk of Bias in Comparative Diagnostic Accuracy Studies Bada Yang , Sue Mallett , Yemisi Takwoingi , Clare F. Davenport , Christopher J. Hyde , Penny F. Whiting , Jonathan J. Deeks , and Mariska M.G. Leeflang , and the QUADAS-C Group† Metrics November 2021Volume 174, Issue 11Page: 1624-1625KeywordsComparative effectiveness researchDiagnostic accuracyDiagnostic testsEpidemiologyGrading of Recommendations Assessment Development and EvaluationResearch quality assessmentSystematic reviews ePublished: 26 October 2021 Issue Published: November 2021 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2021 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...