Table 2. Systematic Reviews Addressing the Management of Corneal Diseases, by Reliability Status.
| Variable | No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Systematic Reviews Classified as Unreliable (n = 33) | Systematic Reviews Classified as Reliable (n = 65) | |
| Year of publication | ||
| 1997-1999 | 1 (3) | 1 (2) |
| 2000-2002 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003-2005 | 1 (3) | 3 (5) |
| 2006-2008 | 0 | 4 (6) |
| 2009-2011 | 3 (9) | 7 (11) |
| 2012-2014 | 16 (48) | 24 (37) |
| 2015-2017 | 12 (36) | 26 (40) |
| Diseases addressed in the systematic reviewa | ||
| Bacterial keratitisb | 0 | 3 (5) |
| Blepharitisb | 0 | 4 (6) |
| Conjunctivitisb | 4 (12) | 21 (32) |
| Corneal ectasiab | 3 (9) | 5 (8) |
| Corneal edema and opacificationb | 1 (3) | 3 (5) |
| Dry eye syndromeb | 12 (36) | 10 (15) |
| Other (nonbacterial) keratitis | 1 (3) | 4 (6) |
| Hordeolum | 0 | 2 (3) |
| Pterygium | 2 (6) | 4 (6) |
| Keratoconus | 5 (15) | 7 (11) |
| Chalazion | 1 (3) | 0 (0) |
| Blepharospasm | 1 (3) | 0 (0) |
| Corneal injury | 3 (9) | 5 (8) |
| Corneal abrasion | 0 | 5 (8) |
| Patients undergoing keratoplasty, corneal transplant, or LASIK | 0 | 3 (5) |
| Types of management addressed in the systematic reviewa | ||
| Medication | 13 (39) | 44 (68) |
| Device | 4 (12) | 9 (14) |
| Surgery | 15 (45) | 18 (28) |
| Other procedure | 1 (3) | 0 (0) |
| Supplements, including artificial tears | 10 (30) | 9 (14) |
| Acupuncture | 1 (3) | 2 (3) |
| Other | 1 (3) | 2 (3) |
| Types of study designs included in the systematic reviewa | ||
| Randomized clinical trials | 22 (67) | 58 (89) |
| Non–randomized clinical trials | 5 (15) | 6 (9) |
| Cohort studies | 7 (21) | 6 (9) |
| Case-control studies | 0 | 1 (2) |
| Cross-sectional studies | 0 | 0 |
| Case series or case reports | 5 (15) | 2 (3) |
| Other | 1 (3) | 2 (3) |
| Included a quantitative synthesis (ie, meta-analysis) | ||
| Yes | 17 (52) | 41 (63) |
| No | 16 (48) | 18 (28) |
| Not applicable because the systematic review included <2 studies | 0 | 6 (9) |
| Cochrane review | ||
| Yes | 0 | 26 (40) |
| No | 33 (100) | 39 (60) |
| No. of authors | ||
| 1 | 2 (6) | 3 (5) |
| 2-4 | 18 (55) | 32 (49) |
| 5-7 | 9 (27) | 22 (34) |
| >7 | 4 (12) | 8 (12) |
| Funding sources for systematic reviewa | ||
| Government | 6 (18) | 31 (48) |
| Pharmaceutical/other industry | 4 (12) | 3 (5) |
| Foundation | 4 (12) | 7 (11) |
| Academic institution or department | 4 (12) | 6 (9) |
| Other funding source | 0 | 1 (2) |
| Explicitly stated as none | 5 (15) | 3 (5) |
| Not reported | 15 (45) | 24 (37) |
| Author financial relationshipsa | ||
| Board membership | 2 (6) | 2 (3) |
| Consultancy | 4 (12) | 5 (8) |
| Employment | 2 (6) | 1 (2) |
| Expert testimony | 0 | 0 |
| Gifts | 0 | 0 |
| Grants/grants pending | 4 (12) | 3 (5) |
| Payment for lectures/speaking | 4 (12) | 2 (3) |
| Payment for manuscript preparation | 0 | 0 |
| Patents (planned, pending, or issued) | 0 | 0 |
| Royalties | 3 (9) | 0 |
| Presentations | 0 | 0 |
| Stock/stock options | 1 (3) | 0 |
| Travel/accommodations/meeting expenses | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 2 (3) |
| Explicitly stated as none | 15 (45) | 41 (63) |
| Not reported | 13 (39) | 14 (22) |
a
More than 1 category could apply to a systematic review.
b
Addressed in most recent American Academy of Ophthalmology Preferred Practice Patterns (PPPs) on corneal disease.