Welcome

This is the webpage for three related entities of the Cochrane Collaboration; the Diagnostic Test Accuracy Working Group, the Regional Support Units and the Diagnostic Test Accuracy Editorial Team. The combined roles of these entities is to implement the Cochrane Steering Group's decision to publish systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy on The Cochrane Library.

The aim of this website is to provide resources and information to all those involved in preparing Cochrane systematic reviews of the accuracy of diagnostic tests.

What do you need to know?

We will try to answer your questions in this website. Please read our FAQ and email us to ask more. Below are brief highlights of some of our activities and links to further information and resources.

• All Cochrane systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy are published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and are labelled as reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy.
• Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy: As each chapter of the handbook is completed it will be published on this website.
  
• Regional Support Units: Teams of experts in DTA reviews are supporting Cochrane Review Groups.

• Software development: RevMan can be used to prepare Cochrane Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy. Authors may need to use other statistical software for some analyses and some macros for these are available. 
  
• Editorial process: We have worked with Cochrane Review Groups and the Cochrane collaboration to develop a robust editorial process. The editorial process and requirements for title registration of systematic reviews of DTA are different from those used for the Cochrane systematic reviews of interventions.
  
• The DTA Editorial Team has been convened. This is a formally convened team of editors who work with CRGs to peer review all DTA protocols and reviews.
  
• Training and support of review authors, centre staff and CRG staff: Training programmes and workshops are organised by DTA support units. Details about training can be found here.
  
• Development of a diagnostic study register: the Cochrane Renal Group is currently collecting individual diagnostic accuracy studies.