Description of data item analysed | SLRs | |
# | % | |
1. All studies included in the review (N = 73) | ||
 Prevalence of quality appraise | ||
  Appraised the quality of contributing studies | 40 | 54.8% |
  Did not appraise quality of contributing studies | 33 | 45.2% |
2. A subset of studies that appraised quality of individual studies (N = 40) | ||
 Critical assessment tool type | ||
  Custom-made (ad-hoc) | 16 | 40.0% |
  Adapted existing tool(s) | 13 | 32.5% |
  Standardized tool | 7 | 17.5% |
  Both standard and a custom-made tool | 2 | 5.0% |
  Both adapted and a custom-made tool | 1 | 2.5% |
  Not reported | 1 | 2.5% |
 Based on NICE/ISPOR tools | ||
  Yes | 16 | 40.0% |
  Other tools and good practice recommendations | 24 | 60.0% |
 Critical assessment format | ||
  Scale (score based) | 12 | 30.0% |
  Checklist | 9 | 22.5% |
  Domain based | 11 | 27.5% |
  Both checklist and domain based | 2 | 5.0% |
  Both scale and checklist | 2 | 5.0% |
  Both scale and domain based | 3 | 7.5% |
  Not reported | 1 | 2.5% |
 Quality appraisal dimensions used | ||
  Reporting quality only | 7 | 17.5% |
  RoB only | 9 | 22.5% |
  Relevancy only | 2 | 5.0% |
  RoB and Relevancy | 3 | 7.5% |
  RoB and Reporting | 6 | 15.0% |
  Reporting, RoB (Methodological) and Relevancy | 13 | 32.5% |
 Use of QA results to inform data synthesis and conclusions | ||
  No attempt to incorporate quality assessment findings into systematic review findings | 15 | 37.5% |
  Narrative discussion (with minimal evidence for incorporation deemed acceptable) | 18 | 45.0% |
  Sensitivity analysis | 1 | 2.5% |
  Exclude studies at high or unclear risk of bias (or moderate or low quality) from the synthesis | 5 | 12.5% |
  Unknown | 1 | 2.5% |
 Type of data synthesis | ||
  Qualitative (descriptive) synthesis | 20 | 50.0% |
  Quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis or regression) | 4 | 10.0% |
  Both Qualitative and Quantitative | 16 | 40.0% |
 Distribution of the number identified QA tools, checklists and GPRs per SRL included | # | |
  Median | 2 | |
  Mean | 2 | |
  Q1 | 1 | |
  Q3 | 2 | |
  Minimum | 1 | |
  Max | 9 | |
  IQR | 1 | |
 Distribution the number items used to appraise quality per SRL included | ||
  Median | 8 | |
  Mean | 10 | |
  Q1 | 7 | |
  Q3 | 13 | |
  Minimum | 1 | |
  Max | 30 | |
  IQR | 6 |