Table 1.
Basic trial demographics of included SW-CRTs, values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Total N=60 |
Protocols N=28 |
Full reports N=32 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of publication | |||
| 1987–2012 | 28 (46.7) | 12 (42.9) | 16 (50.0) |
| 2013–2014 | 32 (53.3) | 16 (57.1) | 16 (50.0) |
| Journal Impact Factor | |||
| Median (IQR) | 2.6 (2.0–3.5) | 2.3 (2.1–4.8) | 3.3 (2.0–4.8) |
| Country of study | |||
| Australia | 7 (11.7) | 6 (21.4) | 1 (3.1) |
| Canada or USA | 15 (25.0) | 4 (14.3) | 11 (34.4) |
| UK or Ireland | 11 (18.3) | 3 (10.7) | 8 (25.0) |
| Other higher income country | 15 (25.0) | 9 (32.1) | 6 (18.8) |
| Middle-income country | 9 (15.0) | 4 (14.3) | 5 (15.6) |
| Low-income country | 3 (5.0) | 2 (7.1) | 1 (3.1) |
| Type of setting | |||
| Healthcare | 50 (83.3) | 25 (89.3) | 25 (78.1) |
| Non-healthcare | 10 (16.7) | 3 (10.7) | 7 (21.9) |
| Cluster | |||
| General practice | 7 (11.7) | 6 (21.4) | 1 (3.1) |
| Hospital/ward/specialties | 12 (20.0) | 5 (17.9) | 7 (21.9) |
| Other health cluster | 20 (33.3) | 9 (32.1) | 11 (34.4) |
| Geographical unit | 11 (18.3) | 5 (17.9) | 6 (18.8) |
| Other/unclear | 10 (16.7) | 3 (10.7) | 7 (21.9) |
| Number of study arms | |||
| Two | 56 (93.3) | 25 (89.3) | 31 (96.9) |
| Three or more | 4 (6.7) | 3 (10.7) | 1 (3.1) |
| Randomisation type | |||
| Simple | 35 (58.3) | 15 (53.6) | 20 (62.5) |
| Paired | 4 (6.7) | 0 (0) | 4 (12.5) |
| Stratified | 14 (23.3) | 10 (35.7) | 4 (12.5) |
| Other/unclear | 7 (11.7) | 3 (10.7) | 4 (12.5) |
| Primary outcome type | |||
| Continuous | 15 (25.0) | 10 (35.7) | 5 (15.6) |
| Binary | 34 (55.7) | 13 (4.4) | 21 (65.6) |
| Other | 5 (8.3) | 2 (7.1) | 3 (9.4) |
| Unclear/not reported | 6 (10.0) | 3 (10.7) | 3 (9.4) |
| Published protocol | NA | 5 (15.6) | |
NA, not available; SW-CRT, stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial.