Chapter 6. Using Evidence to Guide the Diagnosis of Disease

  1. Mark A. Crowther MD, MSc, FRCPC Professor Division Director2,3,
  2. Jeff Ginsberg MD, FRCPC Professor4,
  3. Holger J. Schünemann MD, PhD, MSc, FACP, FCCP Professor5,6,
  4. Ralph M. Meyer MD, FRCPC Director Professor7,8,
  5. Richard Lottenberg MD, FACP Professor9
  1. Lucas M. Bachmann MD, PhD Reader in Clinical Epidemiology Deputy Director1,
  2. Holger J. Schünemann MD, PhD, MSc, FACP, FCCP Professor5,6

Published Online: 4 FEB 2009

DOI: 10.1002/9781444300857.ch6

Book Title

Evidence-Based Hematology

Evidence-Based Hematology

Additional Information

How to Cite

Bachmann, L. M. and Schünemann, H. J. (2009) Using Evidence to Guide the Diagnosis of Disease, in Evidence-Based Hematology (eds M. A. Crowther, J. Ginsberg, H. J. Schünemann, R. M. Meyer and R. Lottenberg), Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. doi: 10.1002/9781444300857.ch6

Editor Information

  1. 2

    Division of Hematology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

  2. 3

    St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

  3. 4

    Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

  4. 5

    CLARITY Research Group, Department of Epidemiology, Italian National Cancer Institute Regina Elena, Rome, Italy

  5. 6

    McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

  6. 7

    National Cancer Institute of Canada, Clinical Trials Group, Edith Eisenhauer Chair in Clinical Cancer Research, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

  7. 8

    Departments of Oncology and Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

  8. 9

    Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA

Author Information

  1. 1

    Horten Centre for Patient, Oriented Research, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

  2. 5

    CLARITY Research Group, Department of Epidemiology, Italian National Cancer Institute Regina Elena, Rome, Italy

  3. 6

    McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

Publication History

  1. Published Online: 4 FEB 2009
  2. Published Print: 27 JUN 2008

ISBN Information

Print ISBN: 9781405157476

Online ISBN: 9781444300857

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Keywords:

  • using evidence to guide diagnosis;
  • systematic reviews of test evaluation studies;
  • meta-analytic methods;
  • Separate random-effects meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity;
  • Bivariate random-effects meta-analysis;
  • Littenberg-Moses summary ROC curve;
  • test accuracy - surrogate for patient-important outcomes;
  • grading quality of evidence and strength of recommendations;
  • GRADE four categories of quality of evidence of system

Summary

This chapter contains sections titled:

  • Diagnosis—its role in clinical care

  • Scientific diagnosis

  • Grading the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations for diagnostic recommendations

  • Arriving at a recommendation for diagnostic tests and strategies

  • Conclusions

  • References

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