• physiotherapy
• stroke
• systematic review
• tele-assessment
• telerehabilitation

• Central nervous system
• Cognitive impairments
• Neurological manifestations
• Peripheral nervous system
• Psychiatric disease
• Sjögren’s disease.
• Sjögren’s syndrome

• Humans
• Sjogren's Syndrome/complications
• Sjogren's Syndrome/psychology
• Sjogren's Syndrome/diagnosis
• Brazil
• Mental Disorders/etiology
• Nervous System Diseases/etiology
• Nervous System Diseases/diagnosis
• Delphi Technique
• Societies, Medical
• Rheumatology
• Quality of Life

• 305981/2023-4 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
• 303116/2022-6 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

• child
• diagnosis
• ultrasonography
• ultrasound
• wrist fracture

• Humans
• Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy/cerebrospinal fluid
• Biomarkers/cerebrospinal fluid
• Amyloid beta-Peptides/cerebrospinal fluid
• tau Proteins/cerebrospinal fluid
• Peptide Fragments/cerebrospinal fluid
• Alzheimer Disease/cerebrospinal fluid
• Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis

• Delphi technique
• Quality assessment tool
• Real-world
• Survey

• Delphi Technique
• Humans
• Systematic Reviews as Topic/methods
• Systematic Reviews as Topic/standards
• Consensus
• Meta-Analysis as Topic

• Bias
• Research Report

• Alzheimer’s disease
• biomarkers
• blood
• diagnostics
• mild cognitive impairment
• tau

• accuracy
• dentine
• diagnostic difficulty
• diagnostic study
• enamel
• meta-analysis
• multiple raters
• perception

• Humans
• Tooth
• Dentistry

• Cone beam computed tomography
• Diagnostic thinking
• Endodontics
• Treatment decision-making
• Treatment plan

• vaccines
• influenza virus

• Alzheimer
• Amnestic
• Biomarker
• Dementia
• Mild cognitive impairment
• Neuroimaging

In recent years, published systematic reviews in the world and in Iran have been increasing. These studies are an important resource to answer evidence-based clinical questions and assist health policy-makers and students who want to identify evidence gaps in published research. Systematic review studies, with or without meta-analysis, synthesize all available evidence from studies focused on the same research question. In this study, the steps for a systematic review such as research question design and identification, the search for qualified published studies, the extraction and synthesis of information that pertain to the research question, and interpretation of the results are presented in details. This will be helpful to all interested researchers.

• Narrative review
• review
• systematic review

To compare the difference in central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements in normal eyes between a rotating Scheimpflug camera combined with a Placido-disk corneal topographer (Sirius, CSO, Italy) and ultrasound pachymetry (USP).

A systematic literature search was conducted for relevant studies published on PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to August 1st, 2019. Primary outcome measures were CCT measurements between Sirius and USP. A random effects model was used to pool CCT measurements.

A total of twelve studies involving 862 eyes were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found CCT measurements between Sirius and USP to be statistically significantly different (P < 0.0001). The mean difference between Sirius and USP was −11.26 μm with a 95% confidence interval (CI) (−16.92 μm, −5.60 μm). The heterogeneity was I² = 60% (P = 0.004).

CCT measurements with the Sirius Scheimpflug-Placido topographer were statistically significantly lower than USP. However, it may be argued that the mean difference of 11.26 μm is not a clinically significant difference.

• Central corneal thickness
• Meta-analysis
• Scheimpflug-Placido topographer
• Ultrasound Pachymetry

Comparative accuracy studies evaluate the relative performance of two or more diagnostic tests. As any other form of research, such studies should be reported in an informative manner, to allow replication and to be useful for decision‐making. In this study we aimed to assess whether and how components of test comparisons were reported in comparative accuracy studies. We evaluated 100 comparative accuracy studies, published in 2015, 2016 or 2017, randomly sampled from 238 comparative accuracy systematic reviews. We extracted information on 20 reporting items, pertaining to the identification of the test comparison, its validity, and the actual results of the comparison. About a third of the studies (n = 36) did not report the comparison as a study objective or hypothesis. Although most studies (n = 86) reported how participants had been allocated to index tests, we could often not evaluate whether test interpreters had been blinded to the results of other index tests (n = 40; among 59 applicable studies), nor could we identify the sequence of index tests (n = 52; among 90 applicable studies) or the methods for comparing measures of accuracy (n = 59). Two‐by‐four table data (revealing the agreement between index tests) were only reported by 9 of 90 paired comparative studies. More than half of the studies (n = 64) did not provide measures of statistical imprecision for comparative accuracy. Our findings suggest that components of test comparisons are frequently missing or incompletely described in comparative accuracy studies included in systematic reviews. Explicit guidance for reporting comparative accuracy studies may facilitate the production of full and informative study reports.

• comparative accuracy studies
• diagnostic accuracy
• reporting
• test comparison

• Biomarkers
• blood
• cerebrospinal fluid
• meta-analysis
• neurodegenerative diseases
• neurofilament light chain

• empirical Bayes geometric mean
• pneumococcal vaccine
• quantitative signal detection
• tree-based scan statistics

• HG18C0068 the Goverment-wide R&D Fund for Infectious Disease Research (GFID)

• Appraisal tool
• Critical appraisal
• Interventional study
• Methodological quality
• Methodology checklist
• Observational study
• Outcome measurement instrument
• Qualitative study
• Quality assessment
• Risk of bias

• Animals
• Bias
• Humans
• Psychometrics/instrumentation
• Psychometrics/methods
• Psychometrics/standards
• Reproducibility of Results
• Research/classification
• Research/instrumentation
• Research Design/standards
• Research Design/statistics & numerical data

• Entrusted Project of National commission on health and health of China
• National Key Research and Development Plan of China
• Nature Science Foundation of Hubei Province

• SHARE recommendations
• Takayasu arteritis
• childhood/paediatric
• eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis
• granulomatosis with polyangiitis
• microscopic polyangiitis
• polyarteritis nodosa
• systemic vasculitis
• treatment

• cardiac
• diagnosis
• magnetic resonance
• neoplasm
• systematic review
• tumor

• Humans
• Coronary Thrombosis/diagnosis
• Coronary Thrombosis/diagnostic imaging
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Heart Neoplasms/diagnosis
• Heart Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods
• Research Design
• Sensitivity and Specificity

• diagnostic radiology
• echocardiography
• hypertension

• Adult
• Aged
• Echocardiography/standards
• Female
• Humans
• Hypertension, Pulmonary/diagnosis
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Pregnancy

• Aspergillosis/blood
• Aspergillosis/diagnosis
• Case-Control Studies
• Humans
• Immunocompromised Host
• Opportunistic Infections/blood
• Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis
• Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Sensitivity and Specificity

Great efforts focus on early detection of autism spectrum disorder, although some scientists and policy-makers have questioned early universal screening. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the different screening tools. Several electronic databases were used to identify published studies. A Bayesian model was used to estimate the screening accuracy. The pooled sensitivity was 0.72 (95% CI 0.61–0.81), and the specificity was 0.98 (95% CI 0.97–0.99). Subgroup analyses to remove heterogeneity indicated sensitivity was 0.77 (95% CI 0.69–0.84), and specificity was 0.99 (95% CI 0.97–0.99; SD ≤ 0.01). Level 1 screening tools for ASD showed consistent statistically significant results and therefore are adequate to detect autism at 14–36 months.

• Autism
• HSROC
• M-CHAT
• Meta-analysis
• Screening tools
• Systematic review

Use of laboratory evidence-based patient health care in Tanzania remains a complex problem, as with many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. As at 2010, 39 African countries, including Tanzania, had no clinical laboratories that met the minimum requirements for international laboratory standards (International Organization for Standardization [ISO] 15189).

The aim of this article is to share experience from Bugando Medical Centre laboratory’s milestones in reaching ISO 15189 accreditation.

Mentors to address the laboratory management and technical requirements performed a gap analysis using the Southern African Development Community Accreditation system checklist. Several non-conformances were detected. System and technical procedures were developed, approved and communicated. Quality indicators were established to measure laboratory improvement and to identify issues which require immediate and preventive actions.

The departments’ external quality assessment performance increased after ISO 15189 implementation (e.g. Parasitology from 45% to 100%, Molecular Biology from no records to 100%, Biochemistry 50% to 95%, Tuberculosis Microscopy 60% to 100%, and Microbiology from 48.1% to 100%). There was a reduction in complaints, from eight to two per week. Rejected samples were reduced from 7.2% to 1.2%. Turn-around time was not recorded before implementation but reached 92% (1644/1786) of the defined targets, and the proportion of contamination in blood cultures decreased from 16% to 4%.

Our experience suggests that the implementation of a quality management system is possible in resource-limited countries like Tanzania. Mentorship is necessary and should be done by professional laboratory mentors trained in quality management systems. Financial resources and motivated staff are key to achieving ISO 15189 accreditation.

• esophageal varices
• liver stiffness
• meta-analysis
• transient elastography

• Elasticity Imaging Techniques
• Esophageal and Gastric Varices/diagnostic imaging
• Esophageal and Gastric Varices/etiology
• Humans
• Liver/diagnostic imaging
• Liver Cirrhosis/complications
• Liver Cirrhosis/diagnostic imaging
• Sensitivity and Specificity

• Diagnostic accuracy
• ROC analysis
• evidence-based medicine
• evidence-based radiology
• heterogeneity
• literature search
• meta-analysis
• meta-regression
• publication bias
• receiver operating characteristic analysis
• sensitivity analyses
• subgroup analysis
• systematic review
• threshold effect

• PET
• cerebral amyloid angioapathy
• cerebralmicrobleeds
• intracerebral hemorrhage

Early detection, monitoring and understanding of changes in the retina are central to the diagnosis of glaucomatous optic neuropathy, and vital to reduce visual loss from this progressive condition. The main objective of this investigation was to compare glaucoma diagnostic accuracy of commercially available optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices (Zeiss Stratus, Zeiss Cirrus, Heidelberg Spectralis and Optovue RTVue, and Topcon 3D-OCT).

16,104 glaucomatous and 11,543 normal eyes reported in 150 studies.

Between Jan. 2017 and Feb 2017, MEDLINE^®, EMBASE^®, CINAHL^®, Cochrane Library^®, Web of Science^®, and BIOSIS^® were searched for studies assessing glaucoma diagnostic accuracy of the aforementioned OCT devices. Meta-analysis was performed pooling area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) estimates for all devices, stratified by OCT type (RNFL, macula), and area imaged.

150 studies with 16,104 glaucomatous and 11,543 normal control eyes were included. Key findings: AUROC of glaucoma diagnosis for RNFL average for all glaucoma patients was 0.897 (0.887–0.906, n = 16,782 patient eyes), for macula ganglion cell complex (GCC) was 0.885 (0.869–0.901, n = 4841 eyes), for macula ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) was 0.858 (0.835–0.880, n = 4211 eyes), and for total macular thickness was 0.795 (0.754–0.834, n = 1063 eyes).

The classification capability was similar across all 5 OCT devices. More diagnostically favorable AUROCs were demonstrated in patients with increased glaucoma severity. Diagnostic accuracy of RNFL and segmented macular regions (GCIPL, GCC) scans were similar and higher than total macular thickness. This study provides a synthesis of contemporary evidence with features of robust inclusion criteria and large sample size. These findings may provide guidance to clinicians when navigating this rapidly evolving diagnostic area characterized by numerous options.

• Bile duct neoplasm
• Klatskin tumors
• cholangiocarcinoma
• endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
• endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)

• antibacterial resistance
• devices.
• diagnostics

• Adult
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/diagnosis
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/physiopathology
• Biomechanical Phenomena
• Female
• Gait
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Menisci, Tibial/diagnostic imaging
• Menisci, Tibial/physiopathology
• Middle Aged
• Physical Examination/methods
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Prognosis
• Reproducibility of Results
• Retrospective Studies
• Tibial Meniscus Injuries/diagnosis
• Tibial Meniscus Injuries/diagnostic imaging
• Tibial Meniscus Injuries/etiology
• Tibial Meniscus Injuries/physiopathology
• Walking
• Weight-Bearing

• Autoantibodies
• Corticosteroids
• Disease Activity
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Treatment

• Adolescent
• Age of Onset
• Child
• Europe
• Evidence-Based Medicine/standards
• Humans
• International Cooperation
• Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/diagnosis
• Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/therapy
• Practice Guidelines as Topic
• Young Adult

• 20417 Arthritis Research UK
• 20747 Arthritis Research UK
• MR/M01665X/1 Medical Research Council

• Dried blood spots
• Hepatitis C virus
• Immunoassay
• Meta-analysis
• Sensitivity
• Specificity
• Whatman 903 card

• Case-Control Studies
• Dried Blood Spot Testing
• Hepacivirus/immunology
• Hepatitis C/diagnosis
• Hepatitis C Antibodies/blood
• Hepatitis C Antibodies/isolation & purification
• Humans
• Sensitivity and Specificity

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Quality In Health Care
• Vascular Medicine

• Administration, Oral
• Adult
• Anticoagulants/therapeutic use
• Delphi Technique
• Drug Prescriptions/standards
• Hospital Information Systems
• Hospitalization
• Humans
• Inappropriate Prescribing/statistics & numerical data
• Quality Indicators, Health Care/standards
• Reproducibility of Results

• French Ministry of Health, Research Program on the French healthcare system performance 2015

• Critérios diagnósticos
• Diagnosis
• Diagnostic criteria
• Diagnóstico
• Diretrizes
• Dor
• Fibromialgia
• Fibromyalgia
• Guidelines
• Pain

• Brazil
• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Fibromyalgia/diagnosis
• Humans
• Rheumatology
• Societies, Medical

• costs and cost analysis
• cost-benefit analysis
• health care costs
• diagnostic tests routine
• brazil

• Brazil
• Cost-Benefit Analysis/methods
• Diagnostic Tests, Routine/economics
• Diagnostic Tests, Routine/statistics & numerical data
• Guideline Adherence/statistics & numerical data
• Health Care Costs/standards
• Health Care Costs/statistics & numerical data
• Humans
• Time Factors

Background: DNA methylation in sputum has been an attractive candidate biomarker for the non-invasive screening and detection of lung cancer. Materials and Methods: Databases including PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane library, Web of Science databases, Chinese Biological Medicine (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Vip Databases and Google Scholar were searched to collect the diagnostic trials on aberrant DNA methylation in the screening and detection of lung cancer published until 1 December 2016. Indirect comparison meta-analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of the included candidate genes. Results: The systematic literature search yielded a total of 33 studies including a total of 4801 subjects (2238 patients with lung cancer and 2563 controls) and covering 32 genes. We identified that methylated genes in sputum samples for the early screening and auxiliary detection of lung cancer yielded an overall sensitivity of 0.46 (0.41–0.50) and specificity of 0.83 (0.80–0.86). Combined indirect comparisons identified the superior gene of SOX17 (sensitivity: 0.84, specificity: 0.88), CDO1 (sensitivity: 0.78, specificity: 0.67), ZFP42 (sensitivity: 0.87, specificity: 0.63) and TAC1 (sensitivity: 0.86, specificity: 0.75). Conclusions: The present meta-analysis demonstrates that methylated SOX17, CDO1, ZFP42, TAC1, FAM19A4, FHIT, MGMT, p16, and RASSF1A are potential superior biomarkers for the screening and auxiliary detection of lung cancer.

• DNA methylation
• detection
• indirect efficacy comparison
• lung cancer
• meta-analysis
• sputum

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• DNA Methylation
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis
• Lung Neoplasms/metabolism
• Sputum