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Table 2 Quality assessment tool

From: Burden of pneumocystis pneumonia in HIV-infected adults in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a systematic review

1. Study design (selection score)

 

 a. Prospective clinical studies (any type)

 

  - Consecutive enrolment

2

  - Unspecified/random enrolment

1

 b. Autopsy studies

 

  - Consecutive enrolment

2

  - Unspecified/random enrolment

1

 c. Retrospective reviews (including subgroup analysis)

1

 d. Review/editorial

0

 e. Case report

0

2. Study objectives (selection score)

 

 a. Clear inclusion criteria

 

  - Aim related to PCP prevalence or outcomes

3

  - Related to OIs/general morbidity/respiratory disease but not specific to PCP

2

  - Unrelated to clinical PCP prevalence

1

 b. Unclear inclusion criteria

1

3. Diagnosisa (quality of outcome ascertainment)

 

 a. Laboratory-confirmed (any specified method/specimen)

2

 b. Clinical case definition (consistent with WHO guidelines)

1

 c. Not specified

0

4. Denominator

 

 a. Raw data denominator

2

 b. Calculated denominator

1

 c. No/unclear denominator/investigated < 20% of cohort for PCP/ exclusion group

0

5. Numerator (PCP numbers)

 

 a. Raw data numerator

2

 b. Calculated numerator

1

 c. No/unclear numerator (clinical PCP not mentioned/tested)

0

6. Assessment of bias (low, high or unclear risk)

 

 a. Attrition bias

  - Amount, nature or handling of incomplete outcome data

 b. Selection bias

  - Representativeness of the cases/cohort (clear reasons for and rates of non-inclusion)

  1. aDo not include data from clinical episodes of PCP if no case definition provided (even if study otherwise qualifies).