Table 1.
Typical variables required for an evidence synthesis (Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, 2009), and current RR functionality. Text: extracted text snippets describing the variable (e.g. ‘The randomization schedule was produced using a statistical computer package’). Structured: translation to e.g., standard bias scores or medical ontology concepts.
| Extraction type | Text | Structured | Extraction type | Text | Structured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Intervention and setting | ||||
| Record number | ✓ | ✓ | Setting | ✓ | |
| Author | ✓ | ✓ | Interventions and controls | ✓ | |
| Article title | ✓ | ✓ | co-interventions | ✓ | |
| Citation | ✓ | ✓ | Outcome data/results | ||
| Type of Publication | ✓ | Unit of analysis | |||
| Country of origin | Statistical techniques | ||||
| Source of funding | Outcomes reported? | ✓ | |||
| Study characteristics | Outcome definitions | ✓ | |||
| Aims/objectives | Measures used | ✓ | |||
| Study design | ✓ | ✓ | Length of follow up | ||
| Inclusion criteria | ✓ | N participants enrolled | ✓ | ||
| Randomization/blinding | ✓ | ✓ | N participants analyzed | ✓ | |
| Unit of allocation | Withdrawals/exclusions | ✓ | |||
| Participants | Summary outcome data | ||||
| Age | ✓ | Adverse events | |||
| Gender | ✓ | ||||
| Ethniticy | ✓ | ||||
| Socio-economic status | ✓ | ||||
| Disease characteristics | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Co-morbidities | ✓ | ✓ |