Skip to main content
. 2015 Jan 6;112(2):251–259. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2014.639

Table 1. Checklist of items to include when reporting a study developing or validating a multivariable prediction model for diagnosis or prognosisa.

Section/topic Item Development or validation? Checklist item Page
Title and abstract
Title 1 D;V Identify the study as developing and/or validating a multivariable prediction model, the target population, and the outcome to be predicted.  
Abstract 2 D;V Provide a summary of objectives, study design, setting, participants, sample size, predictors, outcome, statistical analysis, results, and conclusions.  
Introduction
Background and objectives 3a D;V Explain the medical context (including whether diagnostic or prognostic) and rationale for developing or validating the multivariable prediction model, including references to existing models.  
  3b D;V Specify the objectives, including whether the study describes the development or validation of the model, or both.  
Methods
Source of data 4a D;V Describe the study design or source of data (e.g., randomised trial, cohort, or registry data), separately for the development and validation data sets, if applicable.  
  4b D;V Specify the key study dates, including start of accrual; end of accrual; and, if applicable, end of follow-up.  
Participants 5a D;V Specify key elements of the study setting (e.g., primary care, secondary care, general population) including number and location of centres.  
  5b D;V Describe eligibility criteria for participants.  
  5c D;V Give details of treatments received, if relevant.  
Outcome 6a D;V Clearly define the outcome that is predicted by the prediction model, including how and when assessed.  
  6b D;V Report any actions to blind assessment of the outcome to be predicted.  
Predictors 7a D;V Clearly define all predictors used in developing the multivariable prediction model, including how and when they were measured.  
  7b D;V Report any actions to blind assessment of predictors for the outcome and other predictors.  
Sample size 8 D;V Explain how the study size was arrived at.  
Missing data 9 D;V Describe how missing data were handled (e.g., complete-case analysis, single imputation, multiple imputation) with details of any imputation method.  
Statistical analysis methods 10a D Describe how predictors were handled in the analyses.  
  10b D Specify type of model, all model-building procedures (including any predictor selection), and method for internal validation.  
  10c V For validation, describe how the predictions were calculated.  
  10d D;V Specify all measures used to assess model performance and, if relevant, to compare multiple models.  
  10e V Describe any model updating (e.g., recalibration) arising from the validation, if done.  
Risk groups 11 D;V Provide details on how risk groups were created, if done.  
Development vs validation 12 V For validation, identify any differences from the development data in setting, eligibility criteria, outcome, and predictors.  
Results
Participants 13a D;V Describe the flow of participants through the study, including the number of participants with and without the outcome and, if applicable, a summary of the follow-up time. A diagram may be helpful.  
  13b D;V Describe the characteristics of the participants (basic demographics, clinical features, available predictors), including the number of participants with missing data for predictors and outcome.  
  13c V For validation, show a comparison with the development data of the distribution of important variables (demographics, predictors, and outcome).  
Model development 14a D Specify the number of participants and outcome events in each analysis.  
  14b D If done, report the unadjusted association between each candidate predictor and outcome.  
Model specification 15a D Present the full prediction model to allow predictions for individuals (i.e., all regression coefficients, and model intercept or baseline survival at a given time point).  
  15b D Explain how to use the prediction model.  
Model performance 16 D;V Report performance measures (with CIs) for the prediction model.  
Model updating 17 V If done, report the results from any model updating (i.e., model specification, model performance).  
Discussion
Limitations 18 D;V Discuss any limitations of the study (such as nonrepresentative sample, few events per predictor, missing data).  
Interpretation 19a V For validation, discuss the results with reference to performance in the development data, and any other validation data.  
  19b D;V Give an overall interpretation of the results, considering objectives, limitations, results from similar studies, and other relevant evidence.  
Implications 20 D;V Discuss the potential clinical use of the model and implications for future research  
Other information
Supplementary information 21 D;V Provide information about the availability of supplementary resources, such as study protocol, Web calculator, and data sets.  
Funding 22 D;V Give the source of funding and the role of the funders for the present study.  
a

Items relevant only to the development of a prediction model are denoted by D, items relating solely to a validation of a prediction model are denoted by V, and items relating to both are denoted D;V. We recommend using the TRIPOD Checklist in conjunction with the TRIPOD explanation and elaboration document.