Researchers examined how many common clinical tests used in one respiratory medicine clinic in the UK were based on high quality evidence (evidence was graded according to a recognised quality scale).

Only half the tests that were used to make or exclude a diagnosis and a fifth of the tests used to assess a known condition were supported by high quality evidence.

This study reflects the practice in a single unit and the proportion of evidence based tests used elsewhere may be higher, stress the authors. Nevertheless, there is a clear need for further high quality research into medical tests, at least in this specialty. There is also a need for an evidence base for the use of trials of therapy.

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Contact: Emma Dickinson
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BMJ-British Medical Journal
13-Nov-2003