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. 2015 Jan 28;2015(1):CD010632. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010632.pub2
DOMAIN PATIENT SELECTION   INDEX TEST  REFERENCE STANDARD FLOW AND TIMING 
Description Describe methods of participant selection: Describe included patients (prior testing, presentation, intended use of index test and setting):  Describe the index test and how it was conducted and interpreted Describe the reference standard and how it was conducted and interpreted Describe any participants who did not receive the index test(s) and/or reference standard or who were excluded from the 2 x 2 table (refer to flow diagram): Describe the time interval and any interventions between index test(s) and reference standard
Signalling questions
(yes/no/unclear)
Was a consecutive or random sample of patients enrolled? Were the index test results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the reference standard? Is the reference standard likely to correctly classify the target condition? Was there an appropriate interval between index test(s) and reference standard?
Was a case‐control design avoided? If a threshold was used, was it prespecified? Were the reference standard results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the index test? Did all participants receive a reference standard?
Did the study avoid inappropriate exclusions? Did all participants receive the same reference standard?
Were all participants included in the analysis?
Risk of bias: High/low/ unclear Could the selection of participants have introduced bias? Could the conduct or interpretation of the index test have introduced bias?       Could the reference standard, its conduct, or its interpretation have introduced bias? Could the participant flow have introduced bias? 
Concerns regarding applicability: High/low/ unclear Are there concerns that the included participants do not match the review question? Are there concerns that the index test, its conduct, or interpretation differ from the review question? Are there concerns that the target condition as defined by the reference standard does not match the review question?