Table 1 The assessment items of methodological quality of studies
From: Serum CA-125 for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
| Judgments on Bias | |
| Patient selection | 1. Was a consecutive or random sample of patients enrolled? |
| 2. Did the control group include other respiratory diseases? | |
| 3. Did the study include appropriate exclusions? | |
| Index test | 1. Were the index test results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the reference standard? |
| 2. If a threshold was used, was it pre-specified? | |
| Reference standard | 1. Is the reference standards likely to correctly classify the target condition? |
| 2. Were the reference standard results interpreted without knowledge of the results of the index tests? | |
| Flow and timing | 1. Was there an appropriate interval between index test and reference standard? |
| 2. Did all patients receive the same reference standard? | |
| 3. Were all patients included in the analysis? | |
| Applicability | |
| Patient selection | Are there concerns that the included patients and setting do not match the review question? |
| Index test | Are there concerns that the index test, its conduct, or its interpretation differ from the review question? |
| Reference standard | Are there concerns that the target condition as defined by the reference standard does not match the question? |