Table 3.
Type of studies by subdiscipline (expressed as number and percentages).
| Design of studies | Cardiothoracics | Continence and women’s health | Ergonomics and occupational health | Gerontology | Musculoskeletal | Neurology | Orthopedics | Pediatrics | Sports | Oncology | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level I evidence | 31 (15.1) | 11 (17.8) | 3 (6.6) | 10 (6.4) | 55 (13.5) | 26 (9.4) | 13 (18.4) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (4.3) | 2 (25.0) | 4 (2.0) |
| Clinical practice guidelines | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Systematic reviews | 8 (3.9) | 5 (8.1) | 2 (4.4) | 3 (1.9) | 17 (4.2) | 19 (6.9) | 6 (8.5) | 1 (1.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (1.0) |
| Randomized controlled trials | 23 (11.2) | 6 (9.7) | 1 (2.2) | 7 (4.5) | 35 (8.6) | 7 (2.5) | 6 (8.5) | 1 (1.9) | 1 (4.3) | 2 (25.0) | 2 (1.0) |
| Quasi-randomized controlled trials | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Level II evidence | 144 (69.9) | 45 (72.5) | 38 (84.4) | 128 (81.4) | 215 (52.9) | 184 (66.4) | 44 (61.9) | 43 (82.8) | 18 (78.2) | 6 (75.0) | 50 (25.6) |
| Diagnostic accuracy studies | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Cohort studies | 11 (5.3) | 2 (3.2) | 4 (8.9) | 6 (3.8) | 10 (2.5) | 9 (3.2) | 5 (7.0) | 8 (15.4) | 2 (8.7) | 1 (12.5) | 1 (0.5) |
| Cross-sectional studies | 103 (50.0) | 27 (43.5) | 32 (71.1) | 95 (60.5) | 137 (33.7) | 91 (32.9) | 21 (29.6) | 24 (46.2) | 14 (60.9) | 3 (37.5) | 38 (19.5) |
| Non-randomized controlled trials | 11 (5.3) | 5 (8.1) | 1 (2.2) | 12 (7.6) | 16 (3.9) | 6 (2.2) | 2 (2.8) | 3 (5.8) | 1 (4.3) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (1.0) |
| Case-control studies | 2 (1.0) | 2 (3.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (0.5) | 2 (0.7) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (1.9) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (12.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| Single-case or case-series studies | 17 (8.3) | 9 (14.5) | 1 (2.2) | 14 (8.9) | 50 (12.3) | 76 (27.4) | 15 (21.1) | 7 (13.5) | 1 (4.3) | 1 (12.5) | 9 (4.6) |
| Level III evidence | 31 (15.1) | 6 (9.7) | 4 (8.8) | 19 (12.0) | 136 (33.4) | 67 (24.2) | 14 (19.6) | 7 (13.5) | 4 (17.3) | 0 (0.0) | 141 (72.2) |
| Cadaveric or animal experimental studies | 6 (2.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 54 (13.3) | 10 (3.6) | 5 (7.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (2.6) |
| Narrative reviews | 16 (7.8) | 5 (8.1) | 1 (2.2) | 13 (8.3) | 43 (10.6) | 35 (12.6) | 5 (7.0) | 3 (5.8) | 3 (13.0) | 0 (0.0) | 16 (8.2) |
| Development, translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and measurement properties of any measurement tool | 3 (1.5) | 1 (1.6) | 2 (4.4) | 4 (2.5) | 35 (8.6) | 20 (7.2) | 3 (4.2) | 4 (7.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (3.6) |
| Technical notes describing surgical procedures or anatomical findings | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Professional quiz | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Editorials | 1 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 88 (45.1) |
| Letter to the editor | 5 (2.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.6) | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.4) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (1.5) |
| Clinical comments | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (4.3) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (1.5) |
| Reflections of attitudes in clinical practice | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.2) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 14 (7.2) |
| Experts opinions | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (1.5) |
| Other | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (1.0) |
| Total Number of articles (%) | 206 (13.7) | 62 (4.1) | 45 (3.0) | 157 (10.4) | 406 (27.0) | 277 (18.4) | 71 (4.7) | 52 (3.4) | 23 (1.5) | 8 (0.5) | 195 (12.9) |