Impact of Molecular Diagnostics for Tuberculosis on Patient-Important Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Study Methodologies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several reviews on the accuracy of Tuberculosis (TB) Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) have been performed but the evidence on their impact on patient-important outcomes has not been systematically reviewed. Given the recent increase in research evaluating such outcomes and the growing list of TB NAATs that will reach the market over the coming years, there is a need to bring together the existing evidence on impact, rather than accuracy. We aimed to assess the approaches that have been employed to measure the impact of TB NAATs on patient-important outcomes in adults with possible pulmonary TB and/or drug-resistant TB.

Methods

We first develop a conceptual framework to clarify through which mechanisms the improved technical performance of a novel TB test m

SUBMITTER: Schumacher SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4783056 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature