Table 2.
Methodological Quality of Included Studies
| Study | Study Designa |
Sampling: Institutionsb |
Sampling: Response Ratec |
Type of Datad | Validity: Internal structuree | Validity: Contentf | Validity: Relationship to other variablesg |
Data analysis: Sophisticationh |
Data analysis: Appropriatei |
Outcomej | MERSQI Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman, 1988 [13] | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 8.5 |
| Doughty et al., 1991 [14] | 1 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Mygdal et al., 1991 [15] | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Evans et al., 1997 [16] | 1 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Lee, Tse and Naguwa, 2004 [18] | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7.5 |
| Stoller, et al., 2004 [19] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Crites and Schuster, 2004 [17] | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Hemer et al., 2007 [20] | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Stergiopoulos et al., 2009 [21] | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Kuo et al., 2010 [23] | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Pettit et al., 2011 [22] | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Brandon and Mullan, 2013 [24] | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Cole, et al., 2017 [25] | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Itri, et al., 2017 [26] | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Hill, et al., 2018 [27] | 1 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Legend: The MERSQI is a validated tool to appraise the quality of medical education research. The maximum score is 18, and is calculated as follows:
a. Study design: Single group cross-sectional (1); single group pre- and post-test (1.5); nonrandomized, 2 group (2); randomized controlled experiment (3)
b. Sampling: Single institution (0.5); 2 institutions (1); More than 2 institutions (1.5)
c. Response rate: Not applicable (0); Response rate < 50% or not reported (0.5); Response rate 50–74% (1); Response rate > 75% (1.5)
d. Type of data: Assessment by study subject (1); Objective measurement (3)
e. Internal structure: Not reported/NA (0); Reported (1)
f. Content: Not reported/NA (0); Reported (1)
g. Relationships to other variables: Not reported/NA (0); Reported (1)
h. Sophistication of analysis: Descriptive analysis only (1); Beyond descriptive analysis (2)
i. Appropriateness of analysis: Inappropriate (0); Inappropriate (1)
j. Outcome: Satisfaction, attitudes, perceptions (1); Knowledge, skills (1.5); Behaviors (2); Patient/health care outcome (3)