Evaluating non-randomised intervention studies - NIHR Health ...

Health Technology Assessment 2003; Vol. 7: No. 27Appendix 5Coverage of core items by selected top toolsCowley, 1995 1095.3 How allocation occurredMethod of assignment of patients to differentprostheses described5.4 Any attempt to balance groups by designPatient groups matched for diagnoses, age,and illness grade or indicators of activity level,sex, and/or weight, or effect of any differencesevaluated in valid statistical analysis9.2 Identification of prognostic factorsItem not covered9.3 Case-mix adjustmentCovered by question under item 5.4 aboveDowns and Black, 1998 855.3 How allocation occurredWere the patients in different interventiongroups, or were the cases and controlsrecruited from the same population?Were study subjects in different interventiongroups, or were the cases and controlsrecruited over the same periodof time?5.4 Any attempt to balance groups by designItem not covered9.2 Identification of prognostic factorsAre the distributions of principal confoundersin each group of subjects to be comparedclearly described?9.3 Case-mix adjustmentWas there adequate adjustment forconfounding in the analyses from which themain findings were drawn?Newcastle–Ottawa tool 665.3 How allocation occurredItem not covered5.4 Any attempt to balance groups by designComparability of cohorts on the basis ofdesign or analysis9.2 Identification of prognostic factorsStudy controls for most important prognosticfactors9.3 Case-mix adjustmentComparability of cohorts on the basis ofdesign or analysisReisch and colleagues, 1989 1115.3 How allocation occurredSeveral items pertaining to allocation wereincluded, such as, ‘historical controls’ or‘convenience (subjects selected foravailability)’ and ‘other non-randomisedmethod’5.4 Any attempt to balance groups by designUse of either prognostic stratification prior tostudy entry or retrospective stratificationduring data analyses9.2 Identification of prognostic factorsItem not covered9.3 Case-mix adjustmentUse of either prognostic stratification prior tostudy entry or retrospective stratificationduring data analysesThomas 655.3 How allocation occurredItem not covered5.4 Any attempt to balance groups by designIndicate the percentage of relevantconfounders that were controlled in thedesign9.2 Identification of prognostic factorsWere there important differences betweengroups prior to the intervention (a list ofimportant confounding factors wasprovided)?9.3 Case-mix adjustmentIndicate the percentage of relevantconfounders that were controlled in theanalysisZaza and colleagues, 2000 865.3 How allocation occurredItem not covered139© Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2003. All rights reserved.