| Study Design |
Criteria |
| Systematic reviews |
Comprehensiveness of sources and search strategy used
Standard appraisal of included studies
Validity of conclusions
Recency and relevance |
| Case-control studies |
Accurate ascertainment of cases
Nonbiased selection of cases and controls with exclusion criteria applied equally to both
Response rate
Diagnostic testing procedures applied equally to each group
Appropriate attention to potential confounding variables |
| Randomized controlled
trials (RCTs) and cohort studies
|
Initial assembly of comparable groups:
- For RCTs: adequate randomization, including concealment and whether potential confounders were distributed equally among groups
- For cohort studies: consideration of potential confounders with either restriction or measurement for adjustment in the analysis; consideration of inception cohorts
Maintenance of comparable groups (includes attrition, crossovers, adherence, contamination)
Important differential loss to followup or overall high loss to followup
Measurements: equal, reliable, and valid (includes masking of outcome assessment)
Clear definition of interventions
All important outcomes considered
Analysis: adjustment for potential confounders for cohort studies, or intention-to-treat analysis for RCTs
|
| Diagnostic accuracy
studies |
Screening test relevant, available for primary care, adequately described
Study uses a credible reference standard, performed regardless of test results
Reference standard interpreted independently of screening test
Handles indeterminate results in a reasonable manner
Spectrum of patients included in study
Sample size
Administration of reliable screening test |
|
a Based on reference 27.
|
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