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Table 3 Summary across reports of systematic reviews adhering to QUOROM reporting guideline (N = 7)

From: Systematic review adherence to methodological or reporting quality

Item assessed

Item description

No. of reports reporting adherence by item

Adhering SRs

Total SRs

%

Title

Identify the report as a systematic review

6

133

449

30

Abstract

Use a structured format

6

402

449

90

Describe the clinical question explicitly

6

341

449

76

Describe the databases (i.e., list) and other information sources

6

335

449

75

Describe the selection criteria (i.e., population, intervention, outcome, and study design), methods for validity assessment, data abstraction, and study characteristics, and quantitative data synthesis in sufficient detail to permit replication

5

177

388

46

Describe characteristics of the RCTs included and excluded; qualitative and quantitative findings (i.e., point estimates and confidence intervals); and subgroup analyses

5

180

388

46

Describe the main results

6

425

449

95

Introduction: rationale

Describe the explicit clinical problem, biological rationale for the intervention, and rationale for review

6

382

449

85

Search

Describe the information sources, in detail (e.g., databases, registers, personal files, expert informants, agencies, hand-searching), and any restrictions (years considered, publication status, language of publication)

5

274

388

71

Study selection

Describe the inclusion and exclusion criteria (defining population, intervention, principal outcomes, and study design)

6

417

449

93

Data collection process

Data extraction: describe the process or processes used (e.g., completed independently, in duplicate)

6

363

449

81

Data items

Describe the type of study design, participants’ characteristics, details of intervention, outcome definitions, and how clinical heterogeneity was assessed

6

316

449

70

Risk of bias in individual studies

Validity assessment: describe the criteria and process used (e.g., masked conditions, quality assessment, and their findings)

6

240

449

54

Synthesis of results

Describe the principal measures of effect (e.g., relative risk), method of combining results (statistical testing and confidence intervals), handling of missing data; how statistical heterogeneity was assessed; a rationale for any a priori sensitivity and subgroup analyses; and any assessment of publication bias

5

219

388

56

Results: study selection

Provide a meta-analysis profile summarizing trial flow

6

40

449

9

Study characteristics

Present descriptive data for each trial (e.g., age, sample size, intervention, dose, duration, follow-up period)

6

384

449

86

Results of individual studies

Report agreement on the selection and validity assessment; present simple summary results (for each treatment group in each trial, for each primary outcome); present data needed to calculate effect sizes and confidence intervals in intention-to-treat analyses (e.g., 2 × 2 tables of counts, means and SDs, proportions)

5

213

388

55

Discussion: summary of evidence

Summarize key findings; discuss clinical inferences based on internal and external validity; interpret the results in light of the totality of available evidence; describe potential biases in the review process (e.g., publication bias); and suggest a future research agenda

5

265

388

68