医学期刊编辑对诊断筛查试验类稿件审查的要点探讨和建议

Discussions and suggestions on the key points of reviewing diagnostic and screening test manuscripts for medical journal editors

【目的】探讨医学期刊编辑对诊断筛查试验类稿件的审查要点,以提高编辑对诊断筛查研究的认识。【方法】通过文献审读和学习,梳理编辑工作经验,总结诊断筛查试验类稿件的审查要点。【结果】在诊断筛查试验类稿件的审查中,对于研究设计、评价指标和结果报告3个方面,编辑应审查作者是否合理选定“金标准”、正确选择研究对象和估算样本量、进行同步盲法比较、正确使用预测值并注意区分准确度和符合率、保持评价指标名称前后一致、准确制定诊断临界值、报告指标值所用原始数据和区间估计值,以及正确比较指标值的差异。【结论】医学期刊编辑应加强诊断筛查试验类稿件的审查,以进一步提高审稿能力和诊断筛查试验类论文的出版质量。

[Purposes]This paper aims to investigate the key points that should be followed by editors of medical scientific journals in reviewing diagnostic and screening test manuscripts,and deepen the editors'understanding of diagnostic and screening test research.[Methods]The key points in the process of reviewing diagnostic and screening test manuscripts were summarized based on the literature review and editing experience.[Findings]Several key points pertaining to the study design,evaluation indicators,and results reporting should be taken into consideration in the review of diagnostic and screening test manuscripts.Editors should review whether the authors have properly followed necessary principles below in their manuscripts:first,a"gold standard"is selected with a reasonable justification;second,the selection of research participants and the estimation of sample size are appropriate;third,the synchronous blind comparison is performed;fourth,the predicted value and a clear distinct between the accuracy and agreement rate are used properly;fifth,the terms of the evaluation indicators are consistent in contents;sixth,the threshold value of the diagnosis is accurately formulated;seventh,the original data used for the indicators are clearly articulated;eighth,the interval estimates of indicators are reported;ninth,different indicators are correctly compared.[Conclusions]The editors of medical scientific journals should strengthen the review of diagnostic and screening test manuscripts,so as to further improve the ability of reviewing these articles and enhance the publication quality.