Table 3 Relative recall of search strategies to identify trials included in previous systematic reviews
| Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Number (%) of trials retrieved | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Publication | Setting | Review Period | Sources searched | # Trials | Simple strategy | Taljaard highest sensitivity | Taljaard highest precision |
Donner et al. [5] | CRTs of non-therapeutic interventions | Jan 1979 -Aug 1989 | The Lancet, NEJM, AJE, International Journal of Epidemiology | 16 | 16 (100%) | 16 (100.0%) | 8 (50.0%) |
Simpson et al. [6] | CRTs in primary care | 1990 - 1993 | AJPH, Preventive Medicine | 21 | 15 (71.4%) | 20 (95.2%) | 15 (71.4%) |
Eldridge et al. [9] | CRTs in primary care | 1997, 2000 | CENTRAL | 145 | 140 (96.6%) | 142 (97.9%) | 121 (83.4%) |
Isaakidis et al. [10] | CRTs in sub-Saharan Africa | Before Nov 2001 | MEDLINE, CENTRAL, African Published Trials Register | 51 | 45 (88.2%) | 48 (94.1%) | 33 (64.7%) |
Puffer et al. [7] | CRTs | Jan 1997 -Oct 2002 | BMJ, Lancet, NEJM | 36 | 36 (100%) | 36 (100%) | 33 (91.7%) |
Varnell et al. [8] | Group randomized trials | Jan 1998 -Dec 2002 | AJPH, Preventive Medicine | 60 | 54 (90.0%) | 59 (98.3%) | 51 (85.0%) |
Eldridge et al. [11] | CRTs in primary care | 2004 - 2005 | BMJ, BJGP, Family Practice, Prev Med, Ann Intern Med, JGen Int Med, Pediatrics | 34 | 34 (100%) | 34 (100%) | 32 (94.1%) |
Total | Â | Â | Â | 363 | 340 (93.7%) | 355 (97.8%) | 293 (80.7%) |