Table 3. Timeline of the systematic review (with phases).

Phases of review	Key milestones	Estimated timeline*
Planning phase	1. Formulate research question. 2. Define primary and secondary objectives. 3. Register protocol in PROSPERO.	Y1Q1-Y1Q2 (Completed)
Search strategy development	1. Identify key search terms. 2. Select databases (Pre-defined). 3. Develop search syntax.	Y1Q2 (Completed)
Literature search	1. Conduct electronic database searches. 2. Import references to citation manager and organising. (EndNote)	Y1Q2 (Completed)
Primary screening	1. Screening for titles and abstracts. 2. Full-text screening as per eligibility. (Rayyan QCRI)	Y1Q2-Y1Q3 (Not completed)
Data extraction	1. Design data extraction form (desired variables). 2. Extract key findings from included studies (Microsoft Excel).	Y1Q3 Not completed)
Quality assessment	Scoring of included studies according to mNOS for quality assessment.	Y1Q3 (Not completed)
Data extraction and synthesis	Conduct meta-analysis and/or narrative synthesis (R Statistical Software and GraphPad Prism v.9).	Y1Q4 (Not completed)
Analysis and manuscript writing	1. Draft primary manuscript. 2. Review and revision based on coauthors/ reviewers’ feedback. 3. Finalise for submission.	Y1Q4-Y2Q1 (Not completed)
Submission and revisions	Submit to a reputed international peer-reviewed journal. Address as peer-review feedback. Disseminate findings.	Y2Q2 (Not completed)

^*Y₁Q₁=Year (Y)₁, Quarter (Q)₁ (January to March, 2025) of the reporting period 2025–2026.

mNOS, Modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale ; Q, Quarter; Y, Year.