Table 3 Proposed Criteria for the Prioritisation of Diagnostic Technologies

1. The potential that the technology will have an impact on morbidity and/or mortality of the disease or target condition.

2. The new technology reduces the number of people falsely diagnosed with the disease or target condition.

3. Improved diagnostic precision using the technology would lead to improvement(s) in the delivery of treatment (e.g. shorter time to initiating treatment, reduction in morbidity or mortality).

4. The new technology improves the ability to rule out the disease or target condition.

5. The disease or target condition to which the diagnostic technology will be applied can be clearly defined.

6. There is evidence of test accuracy in the setting in which the new diagnostic technology will be applied.

7. The new technology would enhance diagnostic efficiency or be more cost effective than the current diagnostic approach.

Intermediate Priority

1. The prevalence or incidence of the disease or target condition.

2. The accuracy of the current diagnostic approach for the disease or target condition is problematic.

3. There is variation in treatment or patient outcomes resulting from current diagnostic variability.

4. The current diagnostic pathway for the disease or target condition could be improved by obtaining information in a less risky fashion or in a manner more acceptable to patients.

5. The safety profile of the new technology has been established.

6. The technology improves the ability to rule in the disease or target condition.

7. The new technology has a clearly defined role in the diagnostic pathway, e.g. replacing an existing test, as a triage tool, or after the diagnostic pathway as an add-on test.

8. The relevance of the disease or target condition to current regional or national health policies and/or priorities.

9. It would be feasible to change current practice to incorporate this technology (e.g. additional training, infrastructure, or quality control).