Description of individual patient data meta-analyses included in sample

Meta-analyses	Condition	Main treatment comparisons	Matched eligible guidelines
			Total No identified	No (%) citing IPD meta-analysis
Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group18	Breast cancer: ductal carcinoma in situ	Surgery+adjuvant radiotherapy versus surgery alone	12	1 (8)
Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group19	Breast cancer: metastatic	Surgery+adjuvant chemotherapy versus surgery alone	7	2 (29)
Dowsett et al20	Breast cancer: oestrogen receptor poor	Adjuvant aromatase inhibitors (with or without tamoxifen) versus tamoxifen alone	15	3 (20)
Piccart-Gebhart et al21	Breast cancer	Taxanes alone, or in combination with anthracyclines	6	1 (17)
Chemoradiotherapy for Cervical Cancer Meta-Analysis Collaboration22	Cervical cancer	Concomitant chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy	6	5 (83)
Eden et al23	Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia	Vincristine+steroid pulses versus maintenance treatment	1	0 (0)
Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Collaborative Group24	Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia	Anthracyclines+standard therapy versus standard therapy	1	0 (0)
Uronis et al25	Dyspnoea (in cancer)	Oxygen versus medical air	1	0 (0)
Baujat et al26	Head and neck cancer: locally advanced	Conventional radiotherapy versus hyperfractionated radiotherapy or accelerated radiotherapy, or both	8	4 (50)
Pignon et al27	Head and neck cancer: locally advanced	Locoregional treatment+chemotherapy versus locoregional treatment alone	8	6 (75)
Greb et al28	Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma	High dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation versus standard dose chemotherapy	8	4 (50)
Auperin et al29	Non-small cell lung cancer: locally advanced	Concomitant versus sequential chemoradiotherapy	13	7 (54)
NSCLC Meta-analysis Collaborative Group30	Non-small cell lung cancer	Locoregional treatment+adjuvant chemotherapy versus locoregional treatment alone	15	3 (20)
NSCLC Meta-analysis Collaborative Group31	Non-small cell lung cancer: advanced	Chemotherapy+ supportive care versus supportive care alone	6	1 (17)
De Luca et al32	Angioplasty	Glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors administered early versus late	1	0 (0)
Bejan-Angoulvant et al33	Hypertension	Active treatment versus no treatment or placebo	3	1 (33)
De Backer Tine et al34	Intermittent claudication	Oral naftidrofuryl versus placebo	2	0 (0)
Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration35	Low density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering in cardiovascular disease prevention	Statins versus control; more intensive versus less intensive statin regimens	14	6 (43)
Antithrombotic Trialists’ Collaboration36	Primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease	Long term aspirin versus control	16	14 (88)
Halkes et al37	Secondary prevention of stroke	Dipyridamole+aspirin versus aspirin	5	1 (20)
Craig et al38	Stroke	Very early mobilisation versus usual stroke care	3	0 (0)
Ellis et al39	Stroke	Stroke liaison workers versus usual stroke care	4	1 (25)
Browning et al40	Otitis media in children	Grommet insertion versus myringotomy or non-surgical treatment	0	Not applicable
Koopman et al41	Otitis media in children	Antibiotic treatment versus placebo or no (antibiotic) treatment	0	Not applicable
Kassai et al42	Severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy	Stiripentol versus placebo	1	0 (0)
Ford et al43	Dyspepsia	Helicobacter pylori “test and treat” versus empirical acid suppression	2	1 (50)
Daniels et al44	Gynaecological: chronic pelvic pain	Laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation (LUNA) versus diagnostic laparoscopy or laparoscopic excision or ablation	0	No applicable
Middleton et al45	Gynaecological: heavy menstrual bleeding	Hysterectomy versus endometrial destruction (1st or 2nd generation) or levonongesterol releasing intrauterine system (MIRENA); endometrial destruction versus MIRENA; 1st versus 2nd generation endometrial destruction	1	1 (100)
Cools et al46	Neonatal care: preterm infants	Elective high frequency oscillatory versus conventional ventilation	0	Not applicable
Cates et al47	Asthma	Regular treatment with salmeterol versus placebo or regular short acting β agonists	5	1 (20)
Young et al48	Rhinosinusitis	Antibiotic treatment versus placebo	3	1 (33)
Wang et al49	Smoking cessation	Nicotine replacement therapy versus placebo	7	0 (0)
O’Meara et al50	Venous leg ulcers: wound care	Four layer versus short stretch bandage	3	2 (67)