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Table 1 Drug Effectiveness Review Project (DERP): Quality assessment criteria checklists by study design

From: Methods for the Drug Effectiveness Review Project

Study design

Controlled clinical trial

Observational study

Systematic review

Quality Assessment Criteria

·Randomization adequate?

·Non-biased selection?

·Report clear review question, state inclusion and exclusion criteria of primary studies?

 

· Allocation concealment adequate?

·High overall loss to follow-up or differential loss to follow-up?

 
 

·Groups similar at baseline?

  
  

·Outcomes pre-specified and defined?

·Substantial effort to find relevant research?

 

·Eligibility criteria specified?

  
  

·Ascertainment techniques adequately described?

·Adequate assessment of validity of included studies?

 

·Outcome assessors masked?

  
 

·Care provider masked?

·Non-biased and adequate ascertainment methods?

·Sufficient detail of individual studies presented?

 

·Patient masked?

  
 

·ITT-analysis?

·Statistical analysis of potential confounders?

 
 

·Maintenance of comparable groups?

 

·Primary studies summarized appropriately?

  

·Adequate duration of follow-up?

 
 

·Acceptable levels of crossovers, adherence, and contamination?

  
 

·Overall and between-group attrition acceptable?

  
  1. Abbreviations: ITT intention-to-treat.