abstract
- Diagnostic tests in gastroenterology ought to help clinicians provide effective patient care. However, this may not be achieved if a promising new test is widely advocated before it has undergone a thorough scientific evaluation. Adherence to a set of common sense scientific requirements, such as those presented here, both provides quality control for diagnostic test research and assists clinicians to appraise critically the results of this research and determine for themselves the accuracy and usefulness of a new diagnostic test.