Table 3.
Institute of Health Economics (IHE) quality appraisal checklist for case series included in this review
| Study | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Q11 | Q12 | Q13 | Q14 | Q15 | Q16 | Q17 | Q18 | Q19 | Q20 | Total (yes/no/unclear) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buller et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13/7/0 |
| Burastero et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13/7/0 |
| Cabrita et al. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13/7/0 |
| Cai et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14/6/0 |
| Erivan et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13/6/1 |
| Hsieh et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12/7/1 |
| Jung et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10/9/1 |
| Koo et al. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10/10/0 |
| Lancaster et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12/7/1 |
| Leuning et al. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10/10/0 |
| Magnan et al. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10/10/0 |
| Molinas et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12/8/0 |
| Petis et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15/4/1 |
| Pizzo et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12/7/1 |
| Shin et al. | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 1 | 8/8/4 |
| Yang et al. | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16/3/1 |
| Zhang et al. | 1 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16/3/1 |
| Abendschein t al. | 1 | 0 | N/A | N/A | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7/9/4 |
| Takahira et al. | 0 | 1 | N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5/13/2 |
| Fink et al. | 1 | 1 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14/5/1 |
| Pattyn et al. | 1 | 1 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9/ 9/2 |
| D'angelo et al. | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12/7/1 |
| Romanò et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12/7/1 |
| Jones et al. | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16/2/2 |
| Bori et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13/7/0 |
| Duncan et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | N/A | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | N/A | 0 | 0 | N/A | 8/7/5 |
| Ivarsson et al. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6/13/1 |
| Younger et al. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13/7/0 |
| Durbhakula et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11/8/1 |
| Barrack et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9/11/0 |
| Desmukh et al. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9/11/0 |
| McGrory et al. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9/11/0 |
| Isiklar et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10/9/1 |
| Jahoda et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | N/A | N/A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10/8/2 |
| Kelm et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6/14/0 |
| Kraay et al. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7/11/2 |
| Morimoto et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11/9/0 |
| Yamamoto et al. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10/10/0 |
| Zilkens et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9/10/1 |
| Wentworth et al. | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15/5/0 |
| Faschingbauer et al. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9/11/0 |
Q1: was the hypothesis/aim/objective of the study clearly stated?
Q2: was the study conducted prospectively?
Q3: were the cases collected in more than one centre?
Q4: were patients recruited consecutively?
Q5: were the characteristics of the patients included in the study described?
Q6: were the eligibility criteria (i.e., inclusion and exclusion criteria) for entry into the study clearly stated?
Q7: did patients enter the study at a similar point in the disease?
Q8: was the intervention of interest clearly described?
Q9: were additional interventions (co-interventions) clearly described?
Q10: were relevant outcome measures established a priori?
Q11: were outcome assessors blinded to the intervention that patients received?
Q12: were the relevant outcomes measured using appropriate objective/subjective methods?
Q13: were the relevant outcome measures made before and after the intervention?
Q14: were the statistical tests used to assess the relevant outcomes appropriate?
Q15: was follow-up long enough for important events and outcomes to occur?
Q16: were losses to follow-up reported?
Q17: did the study provided estimates of random variability in the data analysis of relevant outcomes?
Q18: were the adverse events reported?
Q19: were the conclusions of the study supported by results?
Q20: were both competing interests and sources of support for the study reported?