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A technician drops fluid onto a covid testing device

Diagnostic test evaluation

A technician drops fluid onto a covid testing device

Effective healthcare depends on using tests that do more good than harm. The Diagnostic Test Evaluation Group is an internationally recognised group producing and evaluating evidence on the performance of medical tests, as well as for innovation in test evaluation methods.

  • Guide-DTCTs

    Guidance for the Regulation, Evaluation, Marketing and Monitoring of DTCTs.

Research theme leads

  • Professor Jon Deeks

    Professor of Biostatistics

    Staff Profile for Jon Deeks, Professor of Biostatistics, Associate Director of the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit.

  • Professor Yemisi Takwoingi

    Head of the Department of Applied Health Sciences

    Staff profile for Dr Yemisi Takwoingi, Head of the Department of Applied Health Sciences and Professor of Test Evaluation and Evidence Synthesis at the University of Birmingham, UK.

  • Dr Clare Davenport

    Clinical Associate Professor

    Dr Clare Davenport, Senior Clinical Lecturer, Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham.

  • Dr Jacqueline Dinnes

    Senior Research Fellow

    Staff profile for Dr Jac Dinnes, Senior Researcher (Methodologist), Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham.

  • Professor Alice Sitch

    Professor of Biostatistics

    Staff profile for Alice Sitch, Professor of Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, University of Birmingham.

Meet the team

The Diagnostic Test Evaluation Group are part of BESTEAM.

BESTEAM members

About the research

The Diagnostic Test Evaluation team undertakes both methods and applied health research. We are involved in many international collaborations and lead several collaborations working to set standards for design, delivery and analysis of studies of diagnostic tests. We have expertise in our wider team in prediction models and evidence synthesis of tests and prediction models. Our main areas of research include:

  • Primary studies of diagnostic test accuracy
  • Estimating technical properties of biomarkers
  • Ensuring test evaluations are fit-for-purpose
  • Screening
  • Monitoring
  • Systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy

Our group is also recognised for its work in the field of systematic reviews and meta-analysis of diagnostic test evaluation. We work closely with the Cochrane Screening and Diagnostic Tests Methods Group providing the editorial base for systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy in the Cochrane Library.

Key collaborators

Affiliated Centres

Projects

Primary studies

 

  • GUIDE-DTCTs - Guidance for the Regulation, Evaluation, Marketing and Monitoring of DTCTs
  • ACCelerate -Refinement and implementation of a rapid urine test for the detection of adrenal cancer
  • ATHENA - OpticAl Coherence TomograpHy Angiography for the dEtection of Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration: a Comprehensive Diagnostic Accuracy
  • ATHENA-M - Observational Study Of Age, Test THreshold And Frequency On English NAtional Mammography Screening Outcomes
  • BOSS-2 - Birmingham Objective Scar Scale project is a prospective study to examine the validity of a panel of objective burn scar measurement tools.
  • The Chapter Study - Childbirth Acquired Perineal Trauma Study. A study to optimise the care of women following childbirth related perineal trauma (CRPT).
  • COPE-West Midlands - The contribution of occupational exposures to risk of COVID-19 and approaches to control among healthcare workers
  • eGFR-C - Accuracy of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation using creatinine and cystatin C and albuminuria for monitoring disease progression in patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease: prospective longitudinal study in a multi-ethnic population
  • ELaTION - The efficacy and cost effectiveness of real time ultrasound Elastography in The Investigation Of thyroid Nodules and the diagnosis of thyroid cancer
  • HORIZON (Harnessing prOstate canceR Imaging for ZerO-biopsy treatment): a programme to evaluate whether advanced imaging, including MRI and PSMA-PET, can support safe biopsy-free pathways for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.
  • E-MASTER: Phase 1 of the E-MASTER program is a multi-country diagnostic and prognostic accuracy study to evaluate the accuracy and implementation of the Triton Sponge and Canister system as a potentially rapid and real-time post-partum haemorrhage detection strategy at caesarean section.
  • LACTATE - Using lactate testing to improve maternal sepsis identification: a multi-country test accuracy study: LACTate in mATernal sEpsis
  • mTBI-Predict - Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Biomarker Study, a prospective cohort biomarker study of military and civilian participants with mTBI
  • PARADIGM (Prostate MRI Analysis by Radiologists and AI – Disease Identification and Guided Management): a multicentre study evaluating the use of artificial intelligence to detect clinically significant prostate cancer on MRI.
  • PredicTR2 - Validating the PredicTR treatment response classifier for oropharyngeal cancer
  • PRIME - Prostate Imaging using MRI +/- contrast Enhancement
  • PRiMUS - Primary Care Management of lower Urinary tract Symptoms in men: Development and validation of a diagnostic and decision–making aid
  • ROCkeTS - Refining Ovarian Cancer Test Accuracy Scores is a diagnostic test accuracy study that aims to identify, refine and validate tests and clinical risk scores (risk prediction models) that estimate the probability of having ovarian cancer in post and premenopausal women with symptoms. ROCkeTS–Gen is a sub–study that aims to recruit post–menopausal women only.
  • SONATA: TranSforming Ovarian caNcer diAgnosTic pAthways: A hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation study of a novel biomarker based, threshold driven pathway for earlier ovarian cancer diagnosis.
  • TrUSt NAFLD - Translating the potential of the urine steroid metabolome to stage NAFLD

Secondary studies

  • COVID-19 Cochrane Test Accuracy Reviews - Published reviews include signs and symptoms (e.g. fever or cough, oxygen saturation or lung auscultation findings), routine laboratory markers and thoracic imaging, as well reviews of SARS-CoV-2 specific biomarkers such as antibody tests and point-of-care rapid antigen or molecular tests.
  • ROCkeTS - Refining Ovarian Cancer Test Accuracy Scores. A series of 3 test accuracy systematic reviews of the accuracy of symptom combinations, biomarkers and test combinations for detecting ovarian cancer in pre and post-menopausal women

Methodological research

  • Evaluation of diagnostic imaging test performance including interobserver variability. A NIHR doctoral fellowship project which involves methodological research through systematic reviews, case and simulation studies. If interested, please get in touch with Laura Quinn
  • Methods to Evaluate Screening in collaboration with Warwick Screening
  • Opportunities and Challenges in Using Routine Data Sources to Evaluate Biomarkers
  • TEST (Test Evaluation Using Structured Tools). A UK MRC funded project, launched in 2020. 
  • PRISMA-DTA - Diagnostic test accuracy extension to PRISMA checklist.
  • QUADAS 3 -An updated tool for the quality assessment of primary test accuracy studies
  • GUIDE DTCT - A suite of primary and secondary research projects concerned with the evaluation and regulation of Direct To Consumer Tests launched in 2023
  • GUIDEance for Evaluating Diagnostic Tests (GUIDE-EDT) - developing comprehensive guidance for manufacturers, health researchers, grant awarding bodies, and regulators on the evaluation of medical tests for diagnostic purposes.

If you evaluate diagnostic tests (by study, review or policy discussion) and are interested in contributing to the design of a new tool to decide which studies to use to most efficiently evaluate a diagnostic, get in touch at tap@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Workshops, conferences and seminars

We organise and are affiliated with a number of research evens which promote the understanding and knowledge of test evaluation and medical statistics.

Short courses

Additional short courses offered by BESTEAM:

Regular meetings and seminars

Test and Prediction (TAP) meetings

The TAP Group meets monthly to provide methodological support to teams involved in the evaluation of medical tests.

Researchers can request support for their projects by completing the online request form. All requests are reviewed at the monthly TAP Group meeting, where the most appropriate next steps are agreed. This may include signposting to relevant expert teams or being invited to present at a meeting including a round-table discussion focused on challenges and potential solutions.

Researchers are encouraged to submit support requests as early as possible, particularly when seeking input on funding applications, study design, or other time-sensitive aspects of a project. Early engagement helps ensure there is sufficient opportunity for discussion and, where appropriate, ongoing support from the group.

Test evaluation and Prediction (TAP) Group Support Form.

Conferences

MEMTAB

In 2008, we launched the world’s first symposium focussed on methods for evaluating medical tests called `The Methods for Evaluating Medical prediction Models, Tests and Biomarkers’ (MEMTAB). This conference was last held in Birmingham in 2025. Details of the conference planned for 2027 will be shared in due course.

Online resources

Free materials for conducting reviews and meta–analyses of diagnostic test accuracy are available through Cochrane’s Screening and Diagnostic Test Methods group as training materials and the DTA handbook.

For further information about the TAP sessions, please contact tap@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Key publications

Theme contact