Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37184759›Full record

ArticleInsights into imaging2023

Has the quality of reporting improved since it became mandatory to use the Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy?

Ann-Christine Stahl, Anne-Sophie Tietz, Marc Dewey, Benjamin Kendziora

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Insights into imaging, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Ann-Christine StahlDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Berlin, Germany.
Anne-Sophie TietzDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Berlin, Germany.
Marc DeweyDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Berlin, Germany.
Benjamin KendzioraDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Berlin, Germany. benjamin.kendziora@med.uni-muenchen.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5234-5380

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo investigate whether making the Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) mandatory by the leading journal 'Radiology' in 2016 improved the quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies.

methodsA validated search term was used to identify diagnostic accuracy studies published in Radiology in 2015 and 2019. STARD adherence was assessed by two independent reviewers. Each item was scored as yes (1 point) if adequately reported or as no (0 points) if not. The total STARD score per article was calculated. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests were used to evaluate differences of the total STARD scores between 2015 and 2019. In addition, the total STARD score was compared between studies stratified by study design, citation rate, and data collection.

resultsThe median number of reported STARD items for the total of 66 diagnostic accuracy studies from 2015 to 2019 was 18.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 17.5-20.0) of 29. Adherence to the STARD checklist significantly improved the STARD score from a median of 18.0 (IQR 15.5-19.5) in 2015 to a median of 19.5 (IQR 18.5-21.5) in 2019 (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between studies stratified by mode of data collection (prospective vs. retrospective studies, p = 0.68), study design (cohort vs. case-control studies, p = 0.81), and citation rate (two groups divided by median split [< 0.56 citations/month vs. ≥ 0.56 citations/month], p = 0.54).

conclusionsMaking use of the STARD checklist mandatory significantly increased the adherence with reporting standards for diagnostic accuracy studies and should be considered by editors and publishers for widespread implementation. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Editors may consider making reporting guidelines mandatory to improve the scientific quality.

Indexed as

AccuracyChecklistDiagnostic testsReference standardsResearch design

Identifiers

PMID37184759
PMCPMC10184623

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.