Opening lecture of the EASL Postgraduate Course ‘Diagnostics in Liver Disease – The Hepatologist’s Toolkit in 2026

The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group

The presentation reviewed key methodological concepts for interpreting diagnostic accuracy studies, including the role of the index test, study design, risk of bias, and the limitations of accuracy measures as surrogate outcomes. The concluding message was that diagnostic accuracy alone is not enough; understanding how tests influence clinical decisions and patient outcomes is equally important. 

You may find the slides here.