2. Appraising the relevance of results

2.3 The eight steps

1. What is the objective of the study?
The validity and the use of a new diagnostic test.

If there is reference standard, the article deals with the inherent qualities and the performance of the test.

If there is no reference standard, the interest of the study lies in the clinical outcome for the patient.

It is a matter of knowing whether the patient is better after undergoing a diagnostic procedure, than if none had been carried out. This can be found in articles that evaluate a medical intervention within the general meaning of this term.