Evaluating medical tests: introducing the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy
Medical tests are an indispensable element of health care.[1] Clinicians rely on medical tests in a variety of situations, from finding the likely cause of a patient's signs and symptoms, evaluating the extent, or predicting the future course of a condition, to screening for disease in those without symptoms.Tests, like any other intervention, need to be appropriately evaluated before they are recommended for use by policy and decision makers.[2] Systematic reviews o en underpin decision making.Within Cochrane, we have been defining and leading innovations in methods of systematic reviews of test accuracy for over 20 years to produce trusted evidence and drive positive improvements in healthcare.The impact of Cochrane Reviews of diagnostic test accuracy is far-reaching, including reviews about the role of visual inspection for the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma,[3] rapid point-of-care antigen tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection,[4] and rapid tests for detection of pulmonary tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance.[5]