CAST-HSROC: A Web Application for Calculating the Summary Points of Diagnostic Test Accuracy From the Hierarchical Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic Model

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Researchers have been advised to report the point estimate of either sensitivity or specificity and its 95% credible interval (CrI) for a fixed specificity or sensitivity value in the summary of findings (SoF) table for diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) when they use the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) model. However, there is no other tool that easily calculates the statistics. RESULTS: We developed the calculator for the summary points from the HSROC model (CAST-HSROC), a web application for calculating the statistics easily. The existing graphical user interface software such as Review Manager and MetaDTA cannot calculate the statistics. Users should check whether convergence is reached before interpreting the results. CONCLUSIONS: CAST-HSROC can easily calculate the point estimate of either sensitivity or specificity and its 95% CrI for a fixed specificity or sensitivity value on the HSROC model. The application can help to create an SoF table for DTA when systematic reviewers or guideline developers estimate the certainty of evidence on the HSROC model.