Table 1. Demographic details of non-sample set and sample set of the eligible 2018 PROSPERO records.
| Demographic | Records for assessment
(n = 439) |
Records not assessed
(n = 1755) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Month of registration n (%) | January | 45 (10) | 168 (10) |
| February | 32 (7) | 141 (8) | |
| March | 25 (6) | 100 (6) | |
| April | 35 (8) | 122 (7) | |
| May | 16 (4) | 110 (6) | |
| June | 36 (8) | 151 (8) | |
| July | 54 (12) | 188 (11) | |
| August | 56(12) | 200 (11) | |
| September | 31 (7) | 151 (9) | |
| October | 37 (8) | 138 (8) | |
| November | 37 (8) | 160 (9) | |
| December | 35 (8) | 126 (7) | |
| Funding/support indicated n (%) | 386 (88) | 1572 (90) | |
| Meta-analysis planned n (%) | 253 (58) | 1064 (61) | |
| Number of listed authors (mean, range) | 4.1 (0 – 47 *) | 3.9 (0 – 17) | |
|
Stage of review
**
n (%) |
Not Started | 96 (22) | 385 (22) |
| Searches Start | 65(15) | 283 (16) | |
| Searches Complete | 12 (3) | 57 (3) | |
| Pilot Selection Start | 56 (13) | 252 (14) | |
| Pilot Selection Complete | 16 (4) | 50 (3) | |
| Screening Start | 80 (19) | 285 (16) | |
| Screening Complete | 13 (3) | 56 (3) | |
| Extraction Start | 93 (21) | 376 (21) | |
| Extraction complete | 2 (0) | 8 (1) | |
|
Topic of review
***
n (%) |
Alcohol/substance misuse/abuse | 12 (3) | 28 (2) |
| Blood and immune system | 13 (3) | 90 (5) | |
| Cancer | 42 (10) | 182 (10) | |
| Cardiovascular | 61 (14) | 220 (13) | |
| Care of the elderly | 16 (4) | 72 (4) | |
| Child health | 31 (7) | 139 (8) | |
| Complementary therapies | 43 (10) | 178 (10) | |
| Crime and justice | 0 (0) | 2 (0) | |
| Dental | 30 (7) | 138 (8) | |
| Digestive system | 34 8) | 127 (7) | |
| Ear, nose and throat | 7 (2) | 27 (2) | |
| Education | 10 (2) | 23 (1) | |
| Endocrine and metabolic disorders | 35 (8) | 144 (8) | |
| Eye disorders | 3 (1) | 16 (1) | |
| General interest | 5 (1) | 29 (2) | |
| Genetics | 3 (1) | 5 (0) | |
| Health inequalities/health equity | 3 (1) | 8 (1) | |
| Infections and infestations | 22 (5) | 97 (6) | |
| International development | 0 (0) | 2 (0) | |
| Mental health and behavioural conditions | 51 (12) | 129 (7) | |
| Musculoskeletal | 70 (16) | 253 (14) | |
| Neurological | 44 (10) | 208 (12) | |
| Nursing | 11 (3) | 45 (3) | |
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 23 (5) | 101 (6) | |
| Oral health | 21 (5) | 100 (6) | |
| Palliative | 4 (1) | 16 (1) | |
| Perioperative care | 14 (3) | 81 (5) | |
| Physiotherapy | 36 (8) | 129 (7) | |
| Pregnancy and childbirth | 13 (3) | 60 (3) | |
| Public Health | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Rehabilitation | 43 (10) | 173 (10) | |
| Respiratory disorders | 16 (4) | 87 (5) | |
| Service delivery | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Skin disorders | 12 (3) | 40 (2) | |
| Social care | 0 (0) | 2 (0) | |
| Surgery | 49 (11) | 209 (12) | |
| Tropical medicine | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | |
| Urological | 20 (5) | 71 (4) | |
| Wounds, injuries and accidents | 11 (3) | 70 (4) | |
| Violence and abuse | 3 (1) | 10 (1) | |
|
Country of review
***
n (%) |
Australia | 33 (8) | 143 (8) |
| Brazil | 53 (12) | 224 (13) | |
| Canada | 38 (9) | 121 (7) | |
| China | 100 (23) | 414 (24) | |
| England | 46 (10) | 163 (9) | |
| Germany | 13 (3) | 40 (2) | |
| Italy | 14 (3) | 62 (4) | |
| Netherlands | 13 (3) | 51 (3) | |
| Spain | 13 (3) | 39 (2) | |
| USA | 48 (11) | 160 (9) | |
| 57 other countries | 127 (29) | 562 (32) | |
* the record with 47 authors was a single outlier: range excluding this record was 0-15
** details for three records were not available on PROSPERO
*** all items reported by authors included; therefore totals are more than the number of records