Table 1 Questionnaire for evaluation of QUADAS

a) Review details

b) Content of the tool:

   • Did QUADAS cover all important items?

   • Were any QUADAS items omitted, added or modified?

c) Background document:

   • Was the background document easy to understand?

   • Were scoring instructions understandable?

   • Should any items have been scored differently?

d) Technical points

   • How long did it take to complete QUADAS?

   • Was inter-rater reliability assessed?

e) Overall conclusions

   • Reviewers were asked to rate coverage, ease of use, clarity of instructions, and validity (whether QUADAS helped to distinguish between studies of different qualities) on a five point scale

   • Would you us QUADAS again?

f) Additional questions

   • How were the results of quality incorporated into the review?

   • Was a training session organised to ensure reviewers applied the tool consistently?

   • Reviewer details, including age, experience, professional background

   • Have you previously been involved in the quality assessment of studies included in a systematic review?

g) Final comments