Diagnostic Test Accuracy (DTA) review type
Upcoming subheading changes
From 17 November 2025, subheading changes will be implemented for the following review types: DTA, methodology, overview, QES and prognosis. Although these subheadings are new, they reflect much of the content already in your review or protocol. For example, subheadings may be renamed or moved but still include the same content.
See Warnings and errors for empty text sections by review type for more information.
Timeline for adopting subheading changes:
Review Type | Editorial process* started | Protocols, reviews, and updates |
Diagnostic Test Accuracy (DTA) | No |
*All new protocols, reviews and updates will use the new subheadings from 1 May 2026 onwards. |
Yes | Authors should continue to use the old subheadings. The switch to new subheadings will happen on publication or rejection. |
* Editorial process is defined as manuscripts that have already been submitted to Editorial Manager, until publication or rejection; resubmissions and manuscripts in revision are also considered as having already started the editorial process.
| Level 1 heading | H1 |
| Level 2 heading | H2 |
| Level 3 heading | H3 |
| Level 4 heading | H4 |
Note: High-level headings that do not have a corresponding text field are not validated. These are highlighted in light blue.
New DTA subheadings | New DTA subheadings validation Error = section cannot be empty Warning or No validation = optional but check template for reporting guidance | Old DTA subheadings | Old DTA subheadings validation Error = section cannot be empty Warning or No validation = optional but check template for reporting guidance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
(H1) Title | (H1) Title | |||
(H1) Abstract | (H1) Abstract | |||
(H2) Rationale | Error | (H2) Background | Error | |
(H2) Objectives | Error | (H2) Objectives | Error | |
(H2) Search methods | Error | (H2) Search methods | Error | |
(H2) Eligibility criteria | Error | (H2) Selection criteria | Error | |
(H2) Risk of bias and applicability | Error |
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| |
(H2) Synthesis methods | Error | (H2) Data collection and analysis | Error | |
(H2) Included studies | Error |
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(H2) Synthesis of results | Error | (H2) Main results | Error | |
(H2) Authors' conclusions | Error | (H2) Authors' conclusions | Error | |
(H2) Funding | Error | (H2) Funding | Error | |
(H2) Registration | Error | (H2) Registration
| Error | |
(H1) Plain language summary | Error | (H1) Plain language summary | Error | |
(H1) Plain language summary title | Error | (H1) Plain language summary title | No validation | |
Key messages | No validation | Key messages | No validation | |
Tailored heading: e.g. What is improving [...] diagnosis important? | No validation | Tailored heading: e.g. What is improving [...] diagnosis important? | No validation | |
Optional tailored heading: e.g. What is the [...] test? | No validation | Optional tailored heading: e.g. What is the [...] test? | No validation | |
What did we want to find out? | No validation | What did we want to find out? | No validation | |
What did we do? | No validation | What did we do? | No validation | |
What did we find? | No validation | What did we find? | No validation | |
Optional heading: Main results | No validation | Optional heading: Main results | No validation | |
What are the limitations of the evidence? | No validation | What are the limitations of the evidence? | No validation | |
How up to date is this evidence? | No validation | How up to date is this evidence? | No validation | |
(H1) Summary of findings | No validation | (H1) Summary of findings | No validation | |
Summary of findings tables |
| Summary of findings tables | No validation | |
(H1) Background | No validation | (H1) Background | No validation | |
(H2) Description of the target condition | Error | (H2) Target condition being diagnosed | Error | |
(H2) Index test(s) | Error | (H3) Index test(s) | Error | |
(H3) Clinical pathway | Error | (H3) Clinical pathway | Error | |
(H2) Prior tests | Error | (H2) Prior tests | Error | |
(H2) Role of index test(s) | Error | (H2) Role of index test(s) | Error | |
(H2) Alternative test(s) | Error | (H2) Alternative test(s) | Error | |
(H2) Why it is important to do this review | Error | (H2) Rationale (text moved to ‘Why it is important to do this review’) | Error | |
(H1) Objectives | Error | (H1) Objectives | Error | |
|
| (H2) Secondary objectives | No validation | |
(H1) Methods | No validation | (H1) Methods | ||
(H2) Differences between protocol and review | Error |
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(H2) Criteria for considering studies for this review | No validation | (H2) Criteria for considering studies for this review | No validation | |
(H3) Types of studies | Error | (H3) Types of studies | Error | |
(H3) Types of participants | Error | (H3) Participants | Error | |
(H3) Index test | Error | (H3) Index test | Error | |
(H3) Target conditions | Error | (H3) Target conditions | Error | |
(H3) Reference standards | Error | (H3) Reference standards | Error | |
(H2) Search methods for identification of studies | Error | (H2) Search methods for identification of studies | No validation | |
(H3) Electronic searches | Error | (H3) Electronic searches | Error | |
(H3) Searching other resources | Error | (H3) Searching other resources | Error | |
(H2) Data collection and analysis | No validation | (H2) Data collection and analysis | No validation | |
(H3) Selection of studies | Error | (H3) Selection of studies | Error | |
(H3) Data extraction and management | Error | (H3) Data extraction and management | Error | |
(H3) Risk of bias and applicability assessment in included studies | Error | (H3) Assessment of methodological quality (text moved to ‘Risk of bias and applicability assessment in included studies') | Error | |
(H3) Reporting bias assessment | Error |
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| |
(H3) Synthesis methods | Error | (H3) Statistical analysis and data synthesis | Error | |
(H3) Investigation of heterogeneity and subgroup analysis | Error | (H3) Investigations of heterogeneity | Error | |
(H3) Sensitivity analysis | Error | (H3) Sensitivity analysis | Error | |
(H3) Strength of the evidence assessment | Error |
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| |
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| (H3) Assessment of reporting biases (text moved to ‘Reporting bias assessment’) | Error | |
(H2) Equity considerations | Error |
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(H2) Consumer involvement | Error |
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(H1) Results | No validation | (H1) Results | ||
(H2) Description of studies | No validation |
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(H3) Results of the search | Error | (H3) Results of the search | Error | |
(H3) Included studies | Error |
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(H3) Excluded studies | Error |
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(H2) Risk of bias and applicability in included studies | Error | (H2) Methodological quality of included studies | Error | |
(H2) Synthesis of findings | Error | (H2) Findings | Error | |
(H3) Equity assessment | No validation |
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(H3) Reporting biases | No validation |
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(H1) Discussion | No validation | (H1) Discussion |
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(H2) Summary of main findings | Error | (H2) Summary of main results | Error | |
(H2) Limitations of the evidence included in the review | Error |
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(H2) Limitations of the review processes | Error | (H2) Strengths and weaknesses of the review | Error | |
|
| (H2) Applicability of findings to review question (text moved to ‘Limitations of the evidence included in the review’) | Error | |
(H2) Agreements and disagreements with other studies or reviews | Error |
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(H1) Authors' conclusions | No validation | (H1) Authors' conclusions | ||
(H2) Implications for practice | Error | (H2) Implications for practice | Error | |
(H3) Equity-related implications for practice | No validation |
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(H2) Implications for research | Error | (H2) Implications for research | Error | |
(H3) Equity-related implications for research | No validation |
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(H1) Supplementary materials (all review types) | No validation | (H1) Appendices | No validation | |
All supplementary materials listed |
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(H1) Additional information | No validation | (H1) Additional information | No validation | |
(H2) Acknowledgements | Error | (H2) Acknowledgements | Error | |
(H2) Contributions of authors | Error | (H2) Contributions of authors | Error | |
(H2) Declarations of interest | Error | (H2) Declarations of interest | No validation | |
(H2) Sources of support | Error | (H2) Sources of support | No validation | |
(H2) Registration and protocol | Error | (H2) Registration and protocol | Error | |
(H2) Data, code and other materials (all review types) | Error | (H2) Availability of data, code and other materials |
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(H2) Disclosure of artificial intelligence use | Error |
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(H2) Published notes | No validation | (H2) Published notes | No validation | |
(H2) What's new | Error | (H2) What's new | No validation | |
(H2) History | No validation | (H2) History | No validation | |
(H1) References | (H1) References | |||
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| (H2) References to studies included in this review | No validation | |
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| (H2) References to studies excluded from this review | No validation | |
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| (H2) References to studies awaiting assessment | No validation | |
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| (H2) References to ongoing studies | No validation | |
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| (H2) Additional references | No validation | |
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| (H2) References to other published versions of this review | No validation | |
(H1) Figures | No validation | (H1) Figures | No validation | |
(H1) Tables | No validation | (H1) Additional tables | No validation | |