Table 2 Risk of bias in included studies for the systematic review on detection of HBV-DNA and update of the systematic review on detection of HCV-RNA from DBS samples compared to venous blood sampling (plasma/serum)
Author | Patient selection | Bias | Index test | Bias | Reference standard | Bias | Flow and timing | Bias |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Was a case control design avoided Consecutive or random sample of patients Inappropriate exclusions | Blinded to reference standard? Could the conduct or interpretation of the index test have introduced bias? | Are laboratory personelle blinded to index test? Could the reference standard have introduced bias? | Is there an appropriate interval between the index test and reference standard? All patients receive the same reference standard? All patients recruited into the study are included in the analysis? | |||||
HBV-DNA | ||||||||
Alidjinou | NR, but no case control design | UR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | NR | UR |
Alhusseini | Case control design, sampling NR | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | NR | UR |
Durgadevi | Case control design | HR | NR | UR | NR | UR | NR | UR |
Gupta | Selection of only known HBV carriers, | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Partly reported | LR |
Gruner | NR | UR | Not blinded, NR | UR | NR | UR | NR | UR |
Jardi R | selection only of cases | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Partly reported | LR |
Lira R | Selection of only cases | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | NR | UR |
Mohamed S | Case control design | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | NR | UR |
Mossner | Sampling from high-risk and low risk groups | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Sampling reported, same reference standard, all patients included in analysis | LR |
Ross | No case control design, sampling NR | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Flow reported | LR |
Stene- Johannsen | Sampling from high-risk | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Sampling reported, same reference standard, all patients included in analysis | LR |
Vinikoor | No case control design, only cases | HR | Not blinded interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Flow reported | LR |
HCV-RNA | ||||||||
Dokubo | No case control, concurrent sampling from a prospective cohort | LR | NR | UR | NR | UR | Sampling reported, same reference standard, all patients recruited included in analysis | LR |
Gruner | NR | UR | Not blinded, NR | UR | NR | UR | NR | UR |
Marins | Only cases | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | NR, same reference standard, NR | UR |
Marques | NR | UR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | NR, same reference standard, NR | UR |
Mossner | Sampling from high-risk and low risk groups | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Sampling reported, same reference standard, all patients included in analysis | LR |
Soulier | Sampling from high-risk and low risk-groups | HR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | Not blinded, interpretation unbiased | LR | NR, same reference standard, NR | LR |