Evidence Base of Clinical Diagnosis

Andre Knottnerus, Professor of General Practice, Maastricht University. He is involved in the Cochrane movement for drawing up tools for accurate diagnostic testingFrank Buntinx, Professor, Department of Public Health, Leuven University. He is one time chair of the Cochrane Collaboration Diagnostic and Screening Tests Working Group

• List of Contributors, vii Preface, xi1 General introduction: evaluation of diagnostic procedures, 1J. Andre Knottnerus, Frank Buntinx, and Chris van Weel2 The architecture of diagnostic research, 20R. Brian Haynes and John J. You3 Assessment of the accuracy of diagnostic tests: the cross-sectional study, 42J. Andre Knottnerus and Jean W. Muris4 Diagnostic testing and prognosis: the randomized controlled trial in test evaluation research, 63Jeroen G. Lijmer and Patrick M. M. Bossuyt5 The diagnostic before–after study to assess clinical impact, 83J. Andre Knottnerus, Geert-Jan Dinant, and Onno P. Van Schayck6 Designing studies to ensure that estimates of test accuracy will travel, 96Les M. Irwig, Patrick M. M. Bossuyt, Paul P. Glasziou, Constantine Gatsonis, and Jeroen G. Lijmer7 Analysis of data on the accuracy of diagnostic tests, 118J. Dik F. Habbema, Rene Eijkemans, Pieta Krijnen, and J. Andre Knottnerus8 Multivariable analysis in diagnostic accuracy studies: what are the possibilities?, 146Frank Buntinx, Bert Aertgeerts, Marc Aerts, Rudi Bruyninckx, J. Andre Knottnerus, Ann van den Bruel, and Jef van den Ende9 Standards for reporting on diagnostic accuracy studies, 167Patrick M. M. Bossuyt and Nynke Smidt10 Guidelines for conducting systematic reviews of studies evaluating the accuracy of diagnostic tests, 180Frank Buntinx, Bert Aertgeerts, and Petra Macaskill11 Producing and using clinical prediction rules, 213Tom Fahey and Johan van der Lei12 Clinical problem solving and diagnostic decision making: a selective review of the cognitive research literature, 237Alan Schwartz and Arthur S. Elstein13 Improving test ordering and its diagnostic cost-effectiveness in clinical practice—bridging the gap between clinical research and routine health care, 256Ron Winkens, Trudy van der Weijden, Hans Severens, and Geert-Jan Dinant14 Epilogue: overview of evaluation strategy and challenges, 273J. Andre Knottnerus, Ann van den Bruel, and Frank BuntinxIndex, 285

"An invaluable reference ophthalmologists involved in conduting or interpreting studies on diagnostic research." (Eye News, 1 October 2010)“ This is a thorough compilation of clinical research methods and practices.” (Doody's Reviews, March 2009)