Table 4. Categories included in the data extraction form for this systematic review and meta-analysis.

Author(s), month, year of publication, country

Aims/purpose

Study design

Country/region

Income level of country

Emergency dispatch system

Sample size in studies, sex, age

Activator response time before and during the pandemic

Ambulance response time before and during the pandemic

Patient care time before and during pandemic

Call volumes before and during the pandemic

Time period (pre and during COVID-19 pandemic)

Method of stroke/TIA diagnosis

COVID-19 cases numbers/ICU numbers/hospitalisations