title: Specific Challenges in Conducting and Reporting Studies on the Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasonography in Bovine Medicine.
abstract: Ultrasonography is used by bovine practitioners more for reproductive issues than as a diagnostic test for medical and surgical diseases. This article reviews the specific challenges and standards concerning reporting of studies on diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in cattle for nonreproductive issues. Specific biases and applicability concerns in studies reporting ultrasonography as a diagnostic test are also reviewed. Better understanding of these challenges will help the practitioner to interpret and apply (or not) diagnostic accuracy study results depending on the field context. Examples of application of sensitivity and specificity results in a clinical context are given using the Bayes theorem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, Québec CP 5000, Canada. Electronic address: s.buczinski@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buczinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, IA 50010, USA.
authors.forename: Annette M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D015982:Bias; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000068598:Data Accuracy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012107:Research Design; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000662:veterinary; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Bias; Imaging; Sensitivity; Specificity