Table 1.

Characteristics of the included systematic reviews. Reviews are ordered chronologically, from most to least recent, and alphabetically within years

Systematic review	Target population	Method/s tested	Included study designs and number	Outcomes reported	AMSTAR score
Featherstone et al., 2015 [31]; Hartling et al., 2015 [32]	Healthcare decision makers	RR – not clearly defined	53 articles: 8 background articles; 3 studies with empiric data; 12 reviews of RR types; 30 articles on RR methods	Type of product; Methods useda; Comparison of RRs and SRs	4
Harker & Kleijnen, 2012 [21]	Those making HTA assessments in healthcare	RRs of HTAs	46 full RRs; 3 summaries of RRs	Methods used; Time to complete	2
Abrami et al., 2010 [19]	Policy-makers and practitioners	RRs – defined as a review completed in a timely fashion (i.e. within 6 months) or defined by the authors as such	42 RRs	Methods used	2
Ganann et al., 2010 [18]	Health system planners and policymakers	RRs – undefined	25 RRs; 45 methods articles	Nomenclature; Methods used; Comparison of RRs and SRs; Implications of methods used	2
Cameron et al., 2007 [30]; Watt et al., 2008 [33]	HTA agencies and users	RR, defined as a HTA report or SR that has taken between 1 and 6 months to produce, which contains the elements of a comprehensive literature search	12 studies: 1 guideline (abstract); 3 program evaluations; 2 comparative studies; 2 methods studies; 3 commentaries; 1 survey	RR initiation and rationale; Methods used; Content; Time to complete; Dissemination and impact; Peer review procedures; Quality evaluation of the RR	2

^aThe outcome ‘methods used’ refers to the method used in the included rapid reviews. This outcome is important for determining the quality of the review

HTA health technology assessment, RR rapid review, SR systematic review