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Table 1 Reporting characteristics of the study data sources in the titles or abstracts of the included studies

From: Reporting of abstracts in studies that used routinely collected data for exploring drug treatment effects: a cross-sectional survey

Reporting item

Total

Journal type

(n = 222)

Top 5 general medicine (n = 19)

Other journals (n = 203)

Linkage between data sources, n (%)

17 (7.7)

2 (10.5)

15 (7.4)

Type of data source, n (%)

118 (53.2)

10 (52.6)

108 (53.2)

Categories of specific types, n (%)

 EMR

38 (17.1)

6 (31.6)

32 (15.8)

 Claims

53 (23.9)

3 (15.8)

50 (24.6)

 RCD (not specified)a

21 (9.5)

2 (10.5)

19 (9.4)

 Otherb

17 (7.7)

0 (0.0)

17 (8.4)

Where the data source type was reported, n (%)

 Title

4 (3.4)

0 (0.0)

4 (3.7)

 Abstract

98 (83.5)

10 (100.0)

88 (81.8)

 Both the title and abstract

16 (13.6)

0 (0.0)

16 (14.8)

Name of database, n (%)

154 (69.4)

18 (94.7)

136 (67.0)

Where the database name was reported, n (%)

 Reported in the Title

1 (1.7)

0 (0.00)

1 (0.7)

 Reported in the Abstract

146 (94.8)

18 (100.0)

128 (94.1)

 Reported both in the Title and Abstract

7 (4.6)

0 (0.00)

7 (5.2)

Name of database reported, n (%)

 Full name

119 (77.3)

17 (94.4)

102 (75.0)

 Abbreviation name

9 (5.8)

0 (0.0)

9 (6.6)

 Both full and Abbreviation name

26 (16.9)

1 (5.6)

25 (18.4)

Whether the name of database include data source type, n (%)

 Yes

72 (46.8)

4 (22.2)

68 (50.0)

 Partlyc

5 (3.3)

1 (5.6)

4 (2.9)

 Uncleard

8 (5.2)

1 (5.6)

7 (5.2)

 Not include

69 (44.8)

12 (66.7)

57 (41.9)

Coverage of data source, n (%)

140 (63.1)

13 (68.4)

127 (62.6)

Categories of specific coverage, n (%)

 Single center

12 (8.6)

0 (0.0)

12 (9.5)

 Multiple or regional center

54 (38.6)

3 (23.1)

51 (40.2)

 National center

72 (51.4)

10 (76.9)

62 (48.8)

 International center

2 (1.4)

0 (0.0)

2 (1.6)

Country of data source, n (%)

152 (68.5)

16 (84.2)

136 (67.0)

Categories of Specific countrye, n (%)

 China, Taiwan

46 (30.3)

1 (6.3)

45 (33.1)

 USA

34 (22.4)

3 (18.8)

31 (22.8)

 UK

21 (13.8)

8 (50.0)

13 (9.6)

 Korea

11 (7.2)

0 (0.0)

11 (8.1)

 Japan

10 (6.6)

0 (0.0)

10 (7.4)

  1. a Administrative databases, healthcare databases, routinely collected databases were included
  2. b Birth registry and death registry were included
  3. c More than one name of data source was reported in one article, while not all names contained information that can indicate the type of data source (e.g., healthcare, claims, administrative, primary care or secondary care)
  4. d The name of the data source containing wording such as “clinical practice”, “health”, and “health information” was considered unclear as to whether they reflected the type of data source
  5. e Two studies used international data sources, one of which used data sources from the USA and three European countries. Another study used data sources from six European countries. Only top five items were list
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BMC Medical Research Methodology

ISSN: 1471-2288

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