Table 3.
Design methods
| BMJ | BJGP | Family Practice | Overall | |||||
| Designs | n | (%) | n | (%) | n | (%) | n | (%) |
| Cross-sectional survey | 19 | (24.1) | 57 | (39.3) | 31 | (34.8) | 107 | (35.1) |
| Qualitative study | 3 | (3.8) | 16 | (11.0) | 17 | (21.0) | 36 | (11.8) |
| Cohort study | 8 | (10.1) | 21 | (14.5) | 4 | (4.9) | 33 | (10.8) |
| RCT | 14 | (17.7) | 7 | (4.8) | 8 | (9.9) | 29 | (9.5) |
| Reviews | 4 | (5.1) | 8 | (5.5) | 2 | (2.5) | 14 | (4.6) |
| Reliability/diagnostic | 2 | (2.5) | 8 | (5.5) | 1 | (1.2) | 11 | (3.6) |
| Case-control study | 4 | (5.1) | 1 | (0.7) | 3 | (3.7) | 8 | (2.6) |
| Cluster RCT | 4 | (5.1) | 1 | (0.7) | 2 | (2.3) | 7 | (2.3) |
| Other | 21 | (26.6) | 26 | (17.9) | 13 | (16.0) | 60 | (19.7) |
| Total articles | 79 | 145 | 81 | 305 | ||||
Note
RCT = randomised controlled trial.