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. 2023 May 31;2023(5):CD014513. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014513

Eccles 2007.

Study characteristics
Methods A pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of a Diabetes REcall And Management system: the DREAM trial
Cluster‐RCT (58 clusters with 58 providers), conducted in three Primary Care Trusts in the northeast of England, United Kingdom
Two arms: 1. Control (control arm) and 2. Intervention (intervention arm)
Participants Control arm N: 1934
Intervention arm N: 1674
Diabetes type: type 2
Mean age: 66.0 ± 11.5
% Male: 53.0
Longest follow‐up: 15 months
Interventions Control arm:
1) Audit and feedback
2) Electronic patient registry
Intervention arm:
1) Audit and feedback
2) Electronic patient registry
3) Clinician reminders
4) Patient reminders
Outcomes 1) Aspirin, N users (%)
Control arm: pre 10 (1), post 164 (8)
Intervention arm: pre 34 (2), post 308 (18)
2) Antihypertensives (any), N users (%)
Control arm: pre 118 (6), post 274 (14)
Intervention arm: pre 131 (8), post 415 (25)
3) Retinopathy screening (fundoscopy), N screened (%)
Control arm: pre 957 (49), post 977 (51)
Intervention arm: pre 721 (43), post 1014 (61)
4) Foot screening, N screened (%)
Control arm: pre 892 (46), post 944 (49)
Intervention arm: pre 804 (48), post 1127 (67)
5) Renal screening (creatinine), N screened (%)
Control arm: pre 928 (48), post 1168 (60)
Intervention arm: pre 887 (53), post 1229 (73)
6) HbA1c, mean % (SD)
Control arm: pre 7.6 (NR), post 7.4 (NR)
Intervention arm: pre 7.8 (NR), post 7.3 (NR)
7) SBP, mean mmHg (SD)
Control arm: pre 144.5 (NR), post 144.6 (NR)
Intervention arm: pre 145.8 (NR), post 144.2 (NR)
8) DBP, mean mmHg (SD)
Control arm: pre 80.2 (NR), post 78.1 (NR)
Intervention arm: pre 79.2 (NR), post 77.8 (NR)
9) Smoking cessation, N smokers (%)
Control arm: pre 373 (19), post 379 (20)
Intervention arm: pre 347 (21), post 358 (21)
Funding source This study was funded by Diabetes UK, and Northern and Yorkshire Regional NHS R&D Office
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Information not available.
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Low risk Cluster‐RCT.
Provider's baseline characteristics (selection bias) Low risk Table 1 shows the baseline characteristics of control and intervention practices and patients. None of the differences in these variables between the intervention and control group are statistically significant.
Patient's baseline characteristics (selection bias) Low risk Table 1 shows the baseline characteristics of control and intervention practices and patients. None of the differences in these variables between the intervention and control group are statistically significant.
Patient's baseline outcomes (selection bias) Unclear risk Table 2. No P values provided; clinical comparisons appear similar. There was text stating that baseline comparisons between groups were in additional file 2 but the file was not accessible. 
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) High risk Information not available.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) and of outcome assessors (detection bias) Unclear risk Process measures.
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Information not available.
Risk of contamination (other bias) Low risk Cluster‐RCT.
Other bias Low risk Information not available.