Table 3.

Subgroup analyses for post‐learning examination score outcomes stratified by various contexts

Subgroup and domain	Test for heterogeneity			Test for effect
	I 2, %	Q‐statistic	p‐value	Pooled effect size (95% CI)	p‐value
Category of discipline (n = 41)
Medical (n = 14)	80.5	66.59	<0.001	0.527 (0.311, 0.744)	<0.001
Pharmacy (n = 7)	92.5	80.39	<0.001	0.527 (0.122, 0.932)	0.011
Nursing (n = 2)	79.0	4.76	0.029	0.196 (−0.333, 0.726)	0.468
Other health science (n = 5)	89.4	37.74	<0.001	0.200 (−0.343, 0.744)	0.470
Non‐health science (n = 13)	94.4	216.19	<0.001	0.490 (0.143, 0.837)	0.006
Study design (n = 41)
Cohort (n = 20)	93.3	284.74	<0.001	0.435 (0.173, 0.696)	0.001
Quasi‐experimental (n = 17)	87.2	125.27	<0.001	0.548 (0.328, 0.768)	<0.001
RCT (n = 4)	54.6	6.61	0.085	0.219 (−0.108, 0.545)	0.190
Publication year (n = 41)
2012 (n = 1)				0.858 (0.517,1.198)
2013 (n = 5)	80.7	20.69	<0.001	0.168 (−0.205, 0.541)	0.376
2014 (n = 7)	89.5	56.99	<0.001	0.245 (−0.115, 0.606)	0.182
2015 (n = 18)	92.5	226.45	<0.001	0.426 (0.167, 0.685)	0.001
2016 (n = 10)	81.8	49.58	<0.001	0.801 (0.526, 1.075)	<0.001
Publication type (n = 41)
Journal (n = 32)	92.2	388.90	<0.001	0.458 (0.263, 0.653)	<0.001
Thesis (n = 1)				−0.018 (−0.379,0.344)
Conference (n = 8)	72.0	25.00	0.001	0.543 (0.306, 0.780)	<0.001
Country (n = 41)
USA (n = 34)	90.5	348.56	<0.001	0.476 (0.304, 0.649)	<0.001
Non‐USA (n = 7)	91.9	73.65	<0.001	0.435 (−0.064, 0.935)	0.088
Format of test (n = 41)
MCQ (n = 20)	87.4	150.97	<0.001	0.394 (0.186, 0.601)	<0.001
Written essay (n = 3)	93.7	31.93	<0.001	1.186 (0.451, 1.921)	0.002
Combination (n = 5)	51.6	8.26	0.082	0.378 (0.174, 0.582)	<0.001
Unclear (n = 13)	93.9	195.40	<0.001	0.451 (0.087, 0.815)	0.015
Setting of medical education studies (n = 14)
School (n = 7)	66.7	18.02	0.006	0.578 (0.342,0.814)	<0.001
Hospital (n = 7)	85.5	41.42	<0.001	0.489 (0.123,0.856)	0.009

CI = confidence interval; MCQ = multiple‐choice question; RCT = randomised controlled trial.