Table 2.
Summary of the characteristics of the included studies
| Study characteristic | Number of studies (N=50) |
References |
| Publication year | ||
| 1995–1999 | 0 (0%) | – |
| 2000–2004 | 0 (0%) | – |
| 2005–2009 | 0 (0%) | – |
| 2010–2014 | 11 (22%) | 46 58 59 64 70 73 76 78 81 83 84 |
| ≥2015 | 39 (78%) | 37–45 47–57 60–63 65–69 71 72 74 75 77 79 80 82 85 86 |
| Study period* | ||
| 1990–1994 | 16 (32%) | 38 39 41 47–49 53 55 70–73 80 82 84 85 |
| 1995–1999 | 21 (42%) | 38–41 47–49 53 55 58 59 70–73 80–85 |
| 2000–2004 | 33 (66%) | 38–41 43 47–49 53 55 57–62 64 66 67 70–76 79–85 |
| 2005–2009 | 43 (86%) | 37–45 47–53 55 57–62 64 66 67 69–86 |
| 2010–2020 | 48 (96%) | 37–45 47–67 69–86 |
| Not specified | 2 (4%) | 46 68 |
| Resource level | ||
| LMIC | 36 (72%) | 37 38 40–42 44–47 49–51 55–58 60–62 64 65 67 70 72–78 80 82–86 |
| HIC | 1 (2%) | 53 |
| HIC and LMIC | 12 (24%) | 39 43 48 52 54 59 63 66 69 71 79 81 |
| Not specified | 1 (2%) | 68 |
| Geographical regions* | ||
| African region | 31 (62%) | 37 38 40–42 44 46 47 50 51 54–58 61 64 65 70 73–78 80–85 |
| European region | 12 (24%) | 39 41 48 52 58 60 66 70 71 77 79 83 |
| Eastern-Mediterranean region | 4 (8%) | 49 54 62 83 |
| South-East Asian region | 28 (56%) | 37 38 40 41 43 46 50 54–56 58 59 63 65 66 69–73 75 77 80–82 84–86 |
| Western-Pacific region | 27 (54%) | 37 38 40 41 43 46 48 52 54 56 58 59 63 65 67 69–73 75 77 81–85 |
| Pan-American region | 22 (44%) | 37 38 40 41 43 45 48 52 53 55 56 58 65 66 70 75 77 80–82 84 85 |
| ≥2 world regions | 30 (60%) | 37 38 40 41 43 46 48 50 52 54–56 58 59 63 65 66 69–73 75 77 80–85 |
| Not specified | 1 (2%) | 68 |
| Study design | ||
| Systematic review | 34 (68%) | 38–43 45 48 50–52 55 57 58 60 61 63 65–67 69 70 72 73 75–82 85 86 |
| Comparative analysis | 4 (8%) | 46 64 68 71 |
| Narrative review | 4 (8%) | 56 59 83 84 |
| Scoping review | 3 (6%) | 44 54 74 |
| Meta-analysis | 2 (4%) | 49 62 |
| Cochrane review | 2 (4%) | 37 53 |
| Rapid review | 1 (2%) | 47 |
| Target population | ||
| Women and children | 5 (10%) | 38 56 58 78 83 |
| Low-income groups | 4 (8%) | 40 76 77 81 |
| Cancer | 2 (4%) | 48 52 |
| Multimorbidity | 1 (2%) | 43 |
| Mental health | 1 (2%) | 85 |
| Tuberculosis | 1 (2%) | 80 |
| Surgery | 1 (2%) | 55 |
| Studies with concept definitions* | ||
| Defined universal health coverage | 31 (62%) | 37 38 40–42 45 46 49–51 53–59 61–65 67 68 72 75 77 83–86 |
| Defined financial risk protection | 26 (52%) | 37–62 |
| Defined equity | 14 (28%) | 39 40 43 45 57 63 64 66 69 72 77 79 81 84 |
| Financial risk protection measures* | ||
| Out-of-pocket expenditures | 31 (62%) | 37 39 41–43 45 46 48 50–57 59 60 63–70 72 75 82 85 86 |
| Catastrophic health expenditures | 25 (50%) | 37 39 40 44 45 49–51 53–55 57 59 61–63 65–67 69 70 72 76 78 86 |
| Impoverishing health expenditures | 11 (22%) | 39 42 44–46 50 51 54 59 65 72 |
| Financial risk protection interventions* | ||
| Pooling arrangements | 18 (36%) | 37 42 46 47 50 51 53 54 56 63 66–71 73 74 |
| Expanding insurance coverage | 23 (46%) | 40 41 45 46 54 56–58 60 61 64 65 67 72 75–81 85 86 |
| Financial incentives | 9 (18%) | 37 38 46 56 58 80 82–84 |
Country resource level was self-identified by studies or assigned based on the 2020 World Bank country resource level classification. Geographical regions were assigned according to the World Health Organization country region classification.
*Overlapping categories.
HIC, high-income countries; LMIC, low-income and middle-income countries.