Table 2 Methodological quality of studies on medical diagnostic agreement and accuracy, triaging agreement of potential orthopaedic surgical candidates or clinical recommendations between physiotherapists in advanced practice physiotherapy and physicians
From: Advanced practice physiotherapy in patients with musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review
Study | MacKay et al. 2009 | O'Donoghue and Hurley-Osing 2007 | Dickens et al. 2003 | Moore, J. H. 2005 | Trompeteret al. 2010 | Aiken and McColl 2008 | Aiken et al. 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Item Evaluation Criteria | |||||||
(maximum = 1; minimum = 0)* | |||||||
1. Independent, blind comparison with a reference standard test | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2. Reference standard/true diagnosis selected is a recognized gold standard or reasonable alternative | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
3. Reference standard applied to all patients | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
4. Actual cases include an appropriate spectrum of severity | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
5. Non-cases patients are patients who might reasonably present for differential diagnosis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
6. Non-cases include an appropriate spectrum of patients with alternate diagnoses | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
7. Justified sample size or not less than 40 participants | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
8. Test manoeuvre described in sufficient detail to permit replication | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
9. Exact criteria for interpreting the test results provided | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
10. The reliability of the test procedures documented | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
11. Number of positive and negative results reported for both cases and non-cases | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12. Appropriate statistics presented (sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive value or likelihood ratios) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
13. The qualifications and skills of the examiner described if the test required an element of examiner interpretation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
14. Training, skills and experience of the examiner found to be appropriate for test interpretation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Total score (%) | 71% | 71% | 71% | 64% | 57% | 42% | 33% |
Rank | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |