STARD initiative

The STARD initiative aimed to develop a checklist of items that should be included in the report of a study of diagnostic accuracy and strongly encourage the use of a flow diagram presenting the design of the study – including method recruitment and the order of test execution – and the flow of participants.

The STARD initiative, entitled “Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bruns DE Gatsonis PP, Glasziou PP, Irwig LM, Lijmer JG, Moher D, Rennie D, De Vet HC; Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy. Toward complete and accurate reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative. Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy” was published in January 2003 simultaneously in seven journals:

-    Clinical Chemistry 2003;49:1-6
-    Annals of Internal Medicine 2003:138:40-4
-    Radiology 2003;226:24-8
-    British Medical Journal 2003;326:41-4
-    American Journal of Clinical Pathology 2003;119:18-22
-    Clinical Biochemistry 2003;36:2-7
-    Clinical Chemistry Laboratory Medicine 2003;41:68-73 

Later, more journals have published the STARD initiative:
-    Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2003;147:336-40 [Dutch]
-    Acad Radiol 2003;10:664-9
-    AJR Am J Roentgenol 2003;181:51-5
-    Ann Clin Biochem 2003;40:357-63
-    Clin Radiol 2003;58:575-80
-    Croat Med J 2003;44:635-8
-    Fam Pract 2004;21:4-10
-    Indian J Med Microbiology 2005;23(4):210-3.

The STARD background document aims to facilitate the use, understanding and dissemination of the checklist. The document contains a clarification of the meaning, rationale and optimal use of each item on the checklist, as well as a short summary of the available evidence on bias and applicability. The STARD background document entitled “Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bruns DE Gatsonis PP, Glasziou PP, Irwig LM, Moher D, Rennie D, De Vet HC, Lijmer JG; Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy. The STARD statement for reporting of diagnostic accuracy: explanation and elaboration” was published in January 2003 simultaneously in Clinical Chemistry and Annals of Internal Medicine. The Croatian Medical Journal published the STARD background document in September 2003.

-    Clin Chem 2003;49:7-18.
-    Ann Intern Med 2003:138:W1-12  
-    Croat Med J 2003;44:639-50

Rennie D. Improving reports of studies of diagnostic tests: the STARD initiative. JAMA 2003;289:89-90.

Bruns DE. The STARD initiative and the reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy. Clin Chem 2003;49:19-20.

Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB. Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy. The STARD initiative. Lancet 2003;361:71.

McQueen M. Evidence-based laboratory medicine: addressing bias, generalisability and applicability in studies on diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative. Clin Biochem 2003;36:1-2.

McQueen M. Evidence-based laboratory medicine: addressing bias, generalisability and applicability in studies on diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative. Clin Chem Lab Med 2003;41:1.

Gatsonis C. Do we need a checklist for reporting the results of diagnostic test evaluations? The STARD proposal. Acad Radiol 2003;10:599-600.

Trenti T. Evidence-based laboratory medicine as a tool for continuous professional improvement. Clin Chim Acta 2003;333:155-67.

Ell PJ. STARD and CONSORT: time for reflection. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2003;30:803-4.

Price CP. Improving the quality of peer reviewed litertaure on diagnostic tests: the STARD initiative. Clin Chim Acta 2003;334:1-3.

McQueen MJ. The STARD initiative: a possible link to diagnostic accuracy and reduction in medical error. Ann Clin Biochem 2003;40:307-8.

Hansell DM, Wells AU. Towards complete and accurate reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative. Clin Radiol 2003;58:573-4.

Meyer GJ. Guidelines for reporting information in studies of diagnostic test accuracy: The STARD initiative. J Pers Assess 2003;81:191-3.

Jones R. Reporting studies of diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative. Fam Pract 2004;21:3.

Khan KS, Bakour SH, Bossuyt PM. Evidence-based obstetric and gynaecologic diagnosis: the STARD checklist for authors, peer-reviewers and readers of test accuracy studies. BJOG 2004;111:638-40.

Selman TJ, Khan KS, Mann Ch. An evidence-based approach to test accuracy studies in gynecologic oncology: the ‘STARD’ checklist. Gynecologic Oncology 2005; 96:575-578.

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Bailey B, Amre DK. A toxicologist's guide to studying diagnostic tests. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2005;43(3):171-9.

Altman DG, Bossuyt PM. [Diagnostic (STARD) and prognostic (REMARK) studies.] Med Clin (Barc). 2005 Dec 1;125 Suppl 1:49-55. Spanish.

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ThereJohnston KC, Holloway RG. There is nothing staid about STARD: progress in the reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies. Neurology. 2006 Sep 12;67(5):740-1.

Smidt N, Rutjes AWS, Van der Windt DAWM, Ostelo RWJG, Reitsma JB, Bossuyt PM, Bouter LM, De Vet HCW. Quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies. Radiology 2005: 235:347-53.

Stengel D, Bauwens K, Rademacher G, Mutze S, Ekkernkamp A. Association between compliance with methodological standards of diagnostic research and reported test accuracy: meta-analysis of focused assessment of US for trauma. Radiology 2005;236(1):102-11.

Smidt N, Rutjes AWS, Van der Windt DAWM, Ostelo RWJG, Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bouter LM, De Vet HCW. Reproducibility of the STARD checklist: an instrument to assess the quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2006;6:12

Rama KR, Poovali S, Apsingi S. Quality of reporting of orthopaedic diagnostic accuracy studies is suboptimal. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2006;447:237-46.

Smidt N, Overbeke J, De Vet HCW, Bossuyt PM. Endorsement of the STARD statement by biomedical journals: Survey of instructions for authors. Clin Chem 2007 Nov;53(11):1983-5.