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Table 1 Eligibility criteria: general inclusion criteria and those shaped by the PIRD and PICO components

From: The potential of computerised analysis of bowel sounds for diagnosis of gastrointestinal conditions: a systematic review

All studies

Inclusion criteria

Publication details

English, abstract, original study, peer-reviewed article, or conference proceeding, any year.

Human subjects any age, but not foetal. Any setting.

DTA studies

Inclusion criteria

Preliminary (non-DTA) studies

Inclusion criteria

Population

Patients with a diagnosis or subjective symptoms of a GI condition (pathological or functional).

Population

Patients with a diagnosis or subjective symptoms of a GI condition (pathological or ‘functional’) and healthy controls. Some studies had groups for multiple conditions.

Index test

Computerised analysis of bowel sounds

Index test

Computerised analysis of bowel sounds

Reference test

Standard method used for diagnosis

Comparator(s)

Healthy controls or different target condition groups diagnosed by standard methods

Diagnosis

Confirmed or excluded diagnosis of GI condition(s)

Outcome

Results of statistical analysis testing for heterogeneity or associations between bowel sound feature and condition(s)

  1. Diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies were defined as those studies providing some measure of accuracy for the index test, such as sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, accuracy, positive and negative likelihood ratios, or ROC analysis. The preliminary studies were typically proof-of-concept studies aimed at assessing an association between a bowel sound feature and a GI condition, rather than assessing accuracy in a clinical setting