Table 2 List of validity criteria operationalised for papers reporting on the accuracy of urine dipsticks in the diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) or Bacteriuria
From: Conducting systematic reviews of diagnostic studies: didactic guidelines
Criteria of internal validity (IV) | Positive score |
|---|---|
Valid reference standard | (semi-)quantitative (2 points) ot dipslide culture (1 point) |
Definition of cut-off point for reference standard | definition of Urinary Tract Infection/Bacteriuria by colony forming units per ml (1 point) |
Blind measurement of index test and reference test | in both directions (2 points) or only index or reference test |
Avoidance of verification bias | assessment by reference standard independent from index test results (1 point) |
Index test interpreted independently of all clinical information | explicitly mentioned in the publication or urine samples from mixed out-patient populations examined in a general laboratory (1 point) |
Design | prospective (consecutive series) (1 point) or retrospective collection of data (0 points) |
Criteria of external validity (EV) | Â |
1 Spectrum of disease | in- and/or exclusion criteria mentioned (1 point) |
2 Setting | enough information to identify setting (1 point) (community through tertiary care) |
3 Previous tests/referral filter | details give about clinical and other diagnostic information as to which the index test is being evaluated (symptomatic or asymptomatic patients (1 point) |
4 Duration of illness before diagnosis | duration mentioned (1 point) |
5 Co-morbid conditions | details given (type of population) (1 point) |
6 Demographic information | age (1 point) and/ or gender (1 point) data provided |
7 Execution of index test | information about standard procedure directly or indirectly available, urine collection procedure, first voided urine, distribution of micro-organisms, procedure of contaminated urine samples, time of transportation of urine sample, way of reading index test, persons reading index test (1 point each) |
8 Explicitation of cut-off point of index test | trace, 2 or more + (1 point if applicable) |
9 Percentage missing | if appropriate: missings mentioned (1 point) |
10 Reproducibility of index test | reproducibility studied or reference mentioned (1 point) |