Table III. —Distribution of studies by research question and study design (according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality).43.
| Study design | RCT | Cross-sectional | Cohort | Non-RCT or quasi-experimental studies | Total Current update N. (%) |
Total 3rd edition N. (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research question | ||||||
| Epidemiology: clinical presentation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Epidemiology: prevalence | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 (48.8) | 73 (49.3) |
| Epidemiology: natural history, determining and modifying factors | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 (31.7) | 40 (27) |
| Micro-level: individuals | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 (19.5) | 35 (23.7) |
| Meso-level: health services | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Macro-level: health systems | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total current update, N. (%) | 5 (12.2) | 20 (48.8) | 15 (36.6) | 1 (2.4) | 41 (100) | 148 (100) |
| Total 3rd edition, N. (%) | 17 (11.5) | 72 (48.6) | 49 (33.1) | 10 (6.8) | 148 (100) |