7. Sensitivity analysis primary outcomes.

Outcome	No. of studies	No. of participants	Studies omitted	Effect	Effect size	95% CI	I²	P value
1.1 SGRQ: short‐term (≤ 6 months)
1.1.1 SGRQ: total	12	1386	Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017, Wang 2017, Wood‐Baker 2006	MD	‐3.65	‐5.66, ‐1.64	0.04	46
	16	1788		MD	‐3.78	‐6.29, ‐1.28	<0.00001	72
1.1.2 SGRQ: symptoms	9	919	Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017, Wang 2017, Wood‐Baker 2006	MD	‐1.94	‐5.26, 1.38	0.09	41
	13	1327		MD	‐1.56	‐5.66, 2.53	<0.00001	71
1.1.3 SGRQ: activity	9	916	Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017, Wang 2017, Wood‐Baker 2006	MD	‐3.63	‐5.66, ‐1.61	0.49	0
	0	1320		MD	‐3.04	‐5.80, ‐0.28	0.02	50
1.1.4 SGRQ: impact	9	917	Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017, Wang 2017, Wood‐Baker 2006	MD	‐4.1	‐6.30, ‐1.90	0.17	31
		1322		MD	‐3.76	‐5.94,‐1.57	0.04	46
1.2 SGRQ: medium‐term (> 6 to 15 months)
1.2.1 SGRQ: total	13	3889	Engstrom 1999, Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017, Wang 2017, Wood‐Baker 2006	MD	‐3.95	‐6.06, ‐1.84	<0.00001	78
	18	4321		MD	‐3.89	‐6.16, ‐1.63	<0.00001	83
1.2.2 SGRQ: symptoms	7	2195	Engstrom 1999, Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017, Wang 2017, Wood‐Baker 2006	MD	‐3.11	‐6.00, ‐0.21	0.04	55
	12	2628		MD	‐3.88	‐7.75, ‐0.02	<0.00001	79
1.2.3 SGRQ: activity	7	2175	Engstrom 1999, Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017, Wang 2017, Wood‐Baker 2006	MD	‐3.09	‐5.98, ‐0.20	0.008	65
	12	2608		MD	‐2.57	‐5.53,0.38	< 0.0001	71
1.2.4 SGRQ: impact	7	2178	Engstrom 1999, Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017, Wang 2017, Wood‐Baker 2006	MD	‐3.2	‐6.19, ‐0.21	0.95	0
	12	2610		MD	‐3.34	‐6.26, ‐0.41	<0.00001	77
1.3 SGRQ: long‐term (> 15 months)
1.3.1 SGRQ: total	2	970	Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017	MD	‐1.02	‐4.30, 2.27	0.09	65
	4	1090		MD	‐0.69	‐3.31, 1.93	0.22	31
1.3.2 SGRQ: symptoms	1	157	Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017	MD	n.a.	n.a.	n.a	n.a
	3	279		MD	2.35	‐5.49, 10.19	0.08	60
1.3.3 SGRQ: activity	1	157	Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017	MD	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
	3	278		MD	‐2.87	‐6.17, 0.43	0.55	0
1.3.4 SGRQ: impact	1	150	Gottlieb 2011, Titova 2017	MD	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
	3	270		MD	‐2.21	‐4.71, 0.29	0.49	0
1.8 CRQ: short‐term (≤ 6 months)
1.8.1 CRQ: dyspnoea	1	160	Cambach 1997, Güell 2000, Güell 2006	MD	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
	4	277		MD	0.8	‐0.01, 1.62	0.0001	86
1.8.2 CRQ: fatigue	3	196	Cambach 1997, Güell 2000, Güell 2006	MD	0.01	‐1.34, 1.35	0.28	21
	6	314		MD	0.71	‐0.19, 1.62	<0.00001	84
1.8.3 CRQ: emotion	3	196	Cambach 1997, Güell 2000, Güell 2006	MD	‐0.33	‐0.65, ‐0.01	0.37	0
	6	314		MD	0.45	‐0.26, 1.17	0.003	72
1.8.4 CRQ: mastery	3	196	Cambach 1997, Güell 2000, Güell 2006	MD	0.38	‐1.20, 1.96	0.22	35
	6	314		MD	0.72	‐0.08, 1.52	0.0002	79
1.9 CRQ: medium‐term (> 6 to 15 months)
1.9.1 CRQ: dyspnoea	1	159	Güell 2000	MD	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
	2	219		MD	0.29	‐0.88, 1.46	0.004	88
1.9.2 CRQ: fatigue	3	195	Güell 2000	MD	0.35	‐1.22, 1.93	0.21	35
	4	255		MD	0.37	‐0.53, 1.26	0.05	63
1.9.3 CRQ: emotion	3	195	Güell 2000	MD	0.26	‐1.91, 2.43	0.9	20
	4	255		MD	0.36	‐0.84, 1.57	0.01	73
1.9.4 CRQ: mastery	3	195	Güell 2000	MD	1.06	‐1.19, 3.30	0.08	60
	4	255		MD	0.76	‐0.41, 1.94	0.004	78
1.10 CRQ: long‐term (> 15 months)
1.10.1 CRQ: dyspnoea	1	104	Güell 2000	MD	n.a.	n.a.
	2	151		MD	0.47	‐0.31, 1.25	0.07	70
1.10.2 CRQ: fatigue	3	137	Güell 2000	MD	0.42	‐0.05, 0.89	0.75	0
	4	184		MD	0.46	0.06, 0.85	0.88	0
1.10.3 CRQ: emotion	3	137	Güell 2000	MD	0.52	0.00, 1.04	1	0
	4	184		MD	0.52	0.10, 0.95	1	0
1.10.4 CRQ: mastery	3	137	Güell 2000	MD	0.75	0.22, 1.28	0.67	0
	4	184		MD	0.83	0.41, 1.26	0.78	0
1.11 SF‐36
1.11.1 SF‐36 MCS score	3	2212	Lilholt 2017, Vianello 2016	MD	0.44	‐0.43, 1.31	0.44	0
	5	3699		MD	0.36	‐0.38,1.11	0.75	0
1.11.2 SF‐36 PCS score	3	2217	Lilholt 2017, Vianello 2016	MD	‐0.17	‐1.05, 0.71	0.33	0
	5	3704			1.06	‐0.67, 2.79	< 0.0001	84
1.13 Functional exercise capacity: 6MWD
1.13.1 6MWD: short‐term (≤ 6 months)	8	886	Bendstrup 1997, Bernocchi 2017Cambach 1997, Gottlieb 2011, Güell 2000, Güell 2006, Mendes 2010, Tabak 2014, Wang 2017	MD	41	4.40, 77.60	< .00001	92
	17	1390		MD	52.56	32.39,72.74	< 0.0001	90
1.13.2 6MWD: medium‐term (> 6 months to 15 months)	9	1576	Engstrom 1999, Güell 2000, Kessler 2018, Wang 2017	MD	40.49	9.71, 71.27	<0.00001	92
	13	2071		MD	44.69	24.01, 65.37	<0.00001	90
1.13.3 6MWD: long‐term (> 15 months)	3	973	Gottlieb 2011, Güell 2000, Lou 2015	MD	36.4	‐6.43, 79,24	<0.00001	94
	6	7288		MD	48.43	16.37, 80.49	<0.00001	90
1.18 Respiratory‐related hospital admissions
1.18.1 Respiratory‐related hospital admissions: short‐term (≤ 6 months)	2	265	Bernocchi 2017	OR	0.71	0.28, 1.81	0.43	0
		377		OR	0.6	0.30, 1.22	0.65	0
1.18.2 Respiratory‐related hospital admissions: medium‐term (> 6 to 15 months)	8	2224	Rea 2004, Smith 1999	OR	0.56	0.42, 0.76	0.06	48
		2449		OR	0.6	0.44, 0.81	0.01	57
1.18.3 Respiratory‐related hospital admissions: long‐term (> 15 months)	2	0	n.a.	OR	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
	2	1381		OR	0.85	0.59, 1.23	0.23	29
1.22 All hospital admissions
1.22.2 All hospital admissions: medium‐ term (> 6 months to 15 months)	3	760	Rea 2004, Kessler 2018	OR	0.91	0.66, 1.26	0.74	0
	5	1212		OR	0.93	0.71, 1.21	0.33	14
1.22.3 All hospital admissions: long‐term (> 15 months)	3	1485	Lou 2015	OR	0.88	0.61, 1.27	0.2	38
	4	1920		OR	0.72	0.45, 1.04	0.007	55
1.23 Hospital days per patient (all causes)
1.23.1 Hospital days per patient (all causes): short‐term (≤ 6 months)	2	0	n.a.	MD	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
	2	273		MD	‐4.36	‐6.41, ‐2.31	0.16	49
1.23.2 Hospital days per patient (all causes): medium‐term (> 6 to 15 months)	5	2086	Engstrom 1999, Farrero 2001, Kessler 2018, Rea 2004, Vianello 2016	MD	‐1.01	‐3.41, 1.38	0.001	78
	10	2944		MD	‐1.73	‐3.71, 0.25	0.0003	71
1.23.3 Hospital days per patient (all causes): long‐term (> 15 months)	1	175	Titova 2017	MD	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
	2	346		MD	‐1.6	‐6.12, 2.92	0.1	63
1.24 ED visits	6	2343	Lou 2015, Rea 2004, Smith 1999,	OR	0.69	0.50, 0.94	0.02	64
	9	3005		OR	0.69	0.50, 0.93	0.02	68
1.26 Number of patients using ≥ 1 course of oral steroids	2	218	Farrero 2001, Rea 2004	OR	1.17	0.57, 2.40	0.19	42
	4	433		OR	1.05	0.66, 1.64	0.25	27
1.27 Number of patients using ≥ 1 course of antibiotics	2	218	Rea 2004	OR	2.35	1.02, 5.42	0.15	53
	3	321		OR	1.46	0.51, 4.18	0.007	80

Abbreviations. 6MWD: 6‐minute walking distance; CI: confidence interval; CRQ: Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire; ED: emergency department; MD: mean difference; OR: odds ratio; SF‐36: Short Form‐36; SGRQ: St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire.