Characteristics of randomized clinical trials included in our meta-analysis
| Characteristic | No. (%) n = 16 |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Parallel group design | 13 (81) |
| 2 study groups | 15 (94) |
| Primary outcome defined | 13 (81) |
| Type of intervention | |
| Surgery/procedure | 11 (69) |
| Drug | 5 (31) |
| Control group | |
| Standard care | 12 (75) |
| No treatment/placebo | 4 (25) |
| Type of publication* | |
| Specialty journal | 11 (73) |
| General medical journal | 4 (27) |
| Funding source | |
| Industry | 10 (63) |
| Noncommercial or unclear | 6 (38) |
| Subjectivity of outcome (score on scale of 1–5) | |
| Clearly subjective (4–5) | 13 (81) |
| Moderately subjective (2–3) | 3 (19) |
| Objective (1) | 0 (0) |
| Medical specialty | |
| Neurology | 4 (25) |
| Cosmetic surgery | 3 (19) |
| Cardiology | 2 (13) |
| Psychiatry | 2 (13) |
| Otolaryngology | 2 (13) |
| Dermatology, gynecology or infectious diseases | 3 (19) |
| Trial methods | |
| Random allocation sequence adequately generated | 2 (13) |
| Random allocation sequence adequately concealed | 6 (38) |
| Patients blinded | 7 (44) |
| Treatment provider blinded | 1 (6) |
| Drop-outs < 15% | 8 (50) |
↵* One trial was unpublished.