The search strategies looked for information on three concepts: Hepatitis C, diagnostic tests and diagnostic accuracy. They were compiled in the OvidSP Medline database and refined until the results retrieved reflected the scope of the project. The following databases were searched in April 2015: MEDLINE (OVIDSP interface, 1946 - April Week 2 2015), EMBASE (OVIDSP interface, 1947 – 2015 Week 16), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley interface, searched on 22 April 2015), Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science interface, 1970 - 22 April 2015), Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science (Web of Science interface, 1990 - 22 April 2015), SCOPUS (1960 – 22 April 2015), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS) (BIREME interface, searched on 22 April 2015) and WHO Global Index Medicus (searched on 22 April 2015). The search was supplemented by searching for ongoing studies in WHO’s International Clinical Trials Registry. The search aimed to retrieve all relevant studies regardless of publication status, however, where possible, the search strategy was limited to the English language and human subjects.

Search strategy, Hepatitis C, Diagnostic accuracy, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, SCOPUS, LILACS, WHO Global Index Medicus