title: Meta-epidemiologic study showed frequent time trends in summary estimates from meta-analyses of diagnostic accuracy studies.
abstract: To evaluate changes over time in summary estimates from meta-analyses of diagnostic accuracy studies.
  
  
  
  We included 48 meta-analyses from 35 MEDLINE-indexed systematic reviews published between September 2011 and January 2012 (743 diagnostic accuracy studies; 344,015 participants). Within each meta-analysis, we ranked studies by publication date. We applied random-effects cumulative meta-analysis to follow how summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity evolved over time. Time trends were assessed by fitting a weighted linear regression model of the summary accuracy estimate against rank of publication.
  
  
  
  The median of the 48 slopes was -0.02 (-0.08 to 0.03) for sensitivity and -0.01 (-0.03 to 0.03) for specificity. Twelve of 96 (12.5%) time trends in sensitivity or specificity were statistically significant. We found a significant time trend in at least one accuracy measure for 11 of the 48 (23%) meta-analyses.
  
  
  
  Time trends in summary estimates are relatively frequent in meta-analyses of diagnostic accuracy studies. Results from early meta-analyses of diagnostic accuracy studies should be considered with caution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands; INSERM U1153, Obstetrical, Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team (EPOPé), Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS), Paris Descartes University, 53, avenue de l'Observatoire, 75014 Paris, France; Department of Pediatrics, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris Descartes University, 149, rue de Sèvres, 75015 Paris, France. Electronic address: j.f.cohen@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Jérémie F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Daniël A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Korevaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Junfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mariska M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Leeflang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bossuyt
mesh_terms: D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000592:standards*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013995:Time
keywords: Cumulative meta-analysis; Diagnostic accuracy; Meta-analysis; Sensitivity and specificity; Systematic reviews; Time trends