Table 1.
Study quality assessment of the ten studies included in the systematic review.
| Main author, publication year (reference) | Patient sampling |
Definition of delay* |
Definition of confirmation of TB diagnosis |
Dealing with confounding |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consecutive or random (low risk of bias) | Not consecutive or random (high risk of bias) | Not described (no description) | Clearly stated delay definition (low risk of bias) | Stated but delay definition unclear (high risk of bias) | No definition (no description) | Clearly stated method of Dx of TB (low risk of bias) | No definition (no description) | Potential confounders identified and adjusted for (low risk of bias) | Potential confounders not identified, or identified but not adjusted for (high risk of bias) | |
| Rush 2016 [11] | All cases included | Clearly stated | Culture or PCR | Confounders identified but not adjusted for | ||||||
| Wang 2015 [12] | All cases included | Clearly stated | 50–60% by culture or NAAT; rest by ICD code | Confounders identified but not adjusted for | ||||||
| Kim 2013 [13] | Not described | Clearly stated | Culture | Confounders identified but not adjusted for | ||||||
| Wang 2011 [14] | All cases included | Clearly stated | Culture | Confounders identified but not adjusted for | ||||||
| Jeon 2011 [15] | Not described | Clearly stated | Culture | Confounders identified but not adjusted for | ||||||
| Wang 2006 [16] | All cases included | Clearly stated | Culture | Yes, adjusted for smear status | ||||||
| Sierros 2006 [17] | All cases included; some cases later excluded re: availability of medical records or results | Clearly stated | Culture | Yes, adjusted for smear status | ||||||
| Golub 2005 [18] | All cases eligible but sampling strategy not described | Clearly stated | Culture | Confounders identified but not adjusted for | ||||||
| Yoon 2005 [19] | Not described | Clearly stated | Culture | Confounders identified but not adjusted for | ||||||
| Dooley 2002 [20] | All cases included | Clearly stated | Culture | Yes, adjusted for smear status | ||||||
*
The definition of delay varied between the studies: time of sputum collection to initiation of anti-TB medications: 2 studies; presentation to initiation of anti-TB medications: 5 studies; time of initiation of antibiotics to initiation of anti-TB medications: 2 studies; time of sputum collection to culture growth: 1 study