Welcome

The Cochrane Diagnostic Test Accuracy Working Group was constituted by the Steering Group to develop and implement reviews of diagnostic test accuracy within the Cochrane Collaboration.

To be able to give Review Groups and Authors all the support they may need, four regional Support Units are to be created. Two of these are already active: the UK Support Unit (UKSU) and the Continental Europe Support Unit (CESU).

Present State / News
In October 2007, during the Colloquium in Sao Paulo, the implementation of systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy was officially launched. But the actual registration of titles and protocols may take some more time. We are doing our best to get all processes ready as soon as possible and will keep you up to date through this website.

What you need to know
Depending on your role in the Cochrane Collaboration (author, centre staff, CRG-staff, etc), there are several things you may want to know. Although processes are still under development, some answers to your questions can be found by clicking on the displayed links in the list below.

• Status and plans for the Handbook: the Handbook will be made available through this website, chapter by chapter.
• Training and support of review authors, centre staff and CRG staff: this will all be arranged by the four planned support units. Both the Continental Europe Support Unit (CESU) and the UK Support Unit are already preparing training sessions. See also: Resources for Authors.
• Pilot reviews: at this moment, 9 pilot reviews are carried out to test out the review process and to advice on the readability and suitability of the Handbook. Eight pilot protocols have already been published on the Library's website.
• Software development: the new version of the Collaboration software, RevMan 5 will contain a module specifically to create Cochrane Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy.
• Editorial process: The editorial process and requirements for title registration of systematic reviews of DTA will be different from procedures for the intervention reviews. See Editorial Process of Diagnostic Test Accuracy reviews.
• All Cochrane reviews on Diagnostic Test Accuracy will be published by Wiley in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and they will be labelled as being Reviews on Diagnostic Test Accuracy.
• Plans for a Diagnostic Journal: publisher Wiley InterScience is creating a new diagnostic journal. As soon as we have more information, we will let you know.
• Development of a diagnostic study register: the Australasian Cochrane Centre is currently busy collecting individual diagnostic accuracy studies