Defining the review question

In this chapter, the authors focus on how to formulate a review question for a systematic review of test accuracy, the objectives of the review and the eligibility criteria. In general, the aim of systematic reviews of test accuracy will be to inform decisions about the use of tests in defined populations based on the estimated test accuracy in that population. The review question will guide the rest of the review process. It helps to define what studies to search for and what search terms to use, and guides the definition of the eligibility criteria. Having identified the clinical problem as a choice between well-specified testing strategies in well-defined circumstances, review authors will then define the informative review question. Once the review question has been formulated, one can define the eligibility criteria for the review.