| Study Category | Use in this Comparative Effectiveness Review | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survey of Existing Research (KQ1) | Evaluation of Effectiveness (KQ2-4) | Evaluation of Harms (KQ2–4) | |||
| Used for Systematic Review | Used for Meta-Analyses | ||||
| Randomized clinical trials | Five key indications | 14 | 14 | 6* | 14 |
| Other indications | 10 | Outside Project Scope† | |||
| Comparative observational studies | Five key indications and good quality | 2 | 2 | 2* | 2 |
| Five key indications and fair quality | 8 | 9 | Insufficient Quality | 9 | |
| Five key indications and poor quality | 14 | Insufficient Quality for Detailed Review** | 14 | ||
| Other indications | 7 | Outside Project Scope† | |||
| Non-comparative observational studies | Five key indications and ≥ 15 patients | 19 | Contributes No Information | 19 | |
| Other indications or < 15 patients | Outside Projects Scope† | ||||
For the indications of intracranial hemorrhage and adult cardiac surgery only.
Poor quality comparative observational studies were not reviewed in detail for the comparative effectiveness part of the report, but their data were included in the outcomes tables so that qualitative sensitivity analyses could be performed by placing their findings in the context of the findings of the higher quality studies.
Because certain study categories fell outside of the project scope, they were not used for the indicated evaluations in the comparative effectiveness review.
From: Results
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