| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Agampodi 2008 | Before and after study ‐ no control |
| Armstrong 2004 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Ashworth 2005 | Systematic review. Not a supervision study ‐ physical activity programmes for older people |
| Bang 1994 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Bang 1999 | Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect of female health workers |
| Bradley 2005 | Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect of COPE, a problem‐solving approach for health staff |
| Brewster 1997 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Chalker 2001 | Study methods: longitudinal study ‐ no control |
| Chinbuah 2006 | Before and after study ‐ no control |
| Chopra 2005 | Before and after study ‐ no control. Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect on IMCI |
| Chukwujekwu 2010 | Before and after study ‐ no control |
| Comolet 1997 | Before and after study ‐ no control |
| Conteh 2010 | Supervision of treatments in the context of a RCT |
| Curtale 1995 | Study type: survey. Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| De Jong 1996 | Descriptive/qualitative study. Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Dehne 1995 | Study type: survey |
| Delacollette 1996 | Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect of lay health workers |
| Delgado 1983 | Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect of clinical follow‐up of children |
| Di Sorbo 2010 | Observational study |
| Dolo 2010 | Supervision of laboratory diagnostic procedures |
| Dumont 2005 | Before and after study ‐ no control |
| Edginton 1999 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Fauveau 1991 | Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect of midwives |
| Floyd 2003 | Before and after study without control. Not a supervision study ‐ supervision relates to DOTS treatment of patients, not PHC staff |
| Frazao 2009 | Not an intervention study |
| Ghoneim 2004 | Before and after study ‐ no control. Not a supervision study ‐ refers to nursery staff as "supervisors" |
| Giugliani 2010 | One rural health facility receiving the intervention without control |
| Grosskurth 1995 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Grosskurth 2000 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Hayes 2005 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Hidalgo 1997 | Not a supervision study ‐ looking at the effect of organisational environment |
| Hill 2000 | Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect of primary health care |
| Htay 2003 | Study type: survey |
| Irawati 2007 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Jacquier 2000 | Before and after study ‐ no control |
| Janowitz 2000 | Descriptive study |
| Jaramillo 2001 | Before and after study ‐ no control |
| Jin 1993 | North Korea ‐ high income country |
| Kafle 2009 | Visits to district capital. No supervision intervention |
| Katabarwa 2005 | Study type: survey |
| Kelly 2001 | Before and after study ‐ no control |
| Kim 2002 | Technical supervision to improve communication skills. Supervision does not include management activity and not from a higher tier of health services. |
| Kirkwood 2010 | No supervision intervention |
| Lamboray 1979 | Study method: case study, narrative with no data |
| Libamba 2006 | Study method: audit ‐ no control |
| Libamba 2007 | Descriptive study |
| Lofmark 2010 | Context of nursing education |
| Lynch 1994 | Study type: survey |
| Maung 2006 | Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect of training general practitioners and improving laboratory testing for TB |
| Mogassale 2010 | Time series without pre‐intervention data |
| Osterholt 2006 | Study type: survey |
| PAHO 1999 | Not an intervention study |
| PAHO 1999a | Not an intervention study |
| PAHO 2005 | Not an intervention study |
| Powell 1989 | Not a supervision study ‐ looking at effect of home visits |
| Rao 1998 | Not a supervision study ‐ examines the effect different drug delivery systems |
| Reynolds 2008 | Study related to on‐site supervision, not outreach supervisory visits |
| Ronsmans 2001 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Roos 1995 | Study method: survey |
| Ross 2007 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Sujpluem 1981 | Not an intervention study |
| Thiam 2007 | Multiple interventions, unable to disentangle the effects of supervision |
| Tirado 1990 | Study method: survey |
| Wasunna 2010 | Training intervention |
| Wesson 2008 | 'Detailing' intervention |
| Zenni 1996 | American study ‐ high income country. Not primary health care ‐ hospital based. |
DOTS: Directly Observed Treatment, Short course IMCI: Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses PHC: primary health care RCT: randomised controlled trial TB: tuberculosis