Table 3:

QUADAS tool

Item		Yes	No	Unclear
1)	Was the spectrum of patients representative of the patients who will receive the test in practice?	( )	( )	( )
2)	Were selection criteria clearly described?	( )	( )	( )
3)	Is the reference standard likely to correctly classify the target condition?	( )	( )	( )
4)	Is the time period between reference standard and index test short enough to be reasonably sure that the target condition did not change between the 2 tests?	( )	( )	( )
5)	Did the whole sample or a random selection of the sample receive verification using a reference standard of diagnosis?	( )	( )	( )
6)	Did patients receive the same reference standard regardless of the index test result?	( )	( )	( )
7)	Was the reference standard independent of the index test (ie, the index test did not form part of the reference standard)?	( )	( )	( )
8)	Was the execution of the index test described in sufficient detail to permit replication of the test?	( )	( )	( )
9)	Was the execution of the reference standard described in sufficient detail to permit its replication?	( )	( )	( )
10)	Were the index test results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the reference standard?	( )	( )	( )
11)	Were the reference standard results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the index test?	( )	( )	( )
12)	Were the same clinical data available when test results were interpreted as would be available when the test is used in practice?	( )	( )	( )
13)	Were uninterpretable/intermediate test results reported?	( )	( )	( )
14)	Were withdrawals from the study explained?	( )	( )	( )