Characteristics of Included Trials
| Author, Year | Setting, Country | Patient Group | Health Outcome | Patients Entered No. | Treatment Allocation* | Outcome Assessment† | Duration | Percent Lost to Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA = United States of America; OPD = outpatient department; Aus = Australia; UK = United Kingdom; GP = patient attending in general/family practice; CHD = coronary heart disease. | ||||||||
| * Allocation concealment at treatment allocation was adequate if a clear method (for example central randomization, sealed envelopes or random numbers) was reported. | ||||||||
| † Allocation concealment at outcome assessment was adequate if it was reported that assessors were unaware of participants’ study group allocation. | ||||||||
| ‡ Numbers of patients analyzed in the trial. | ||||||||
| Interventions delivered directly to patients | ||||||||
| Greenfield et al, 198522 | Hospital OPD, USA | Chronic disease (peptic ulcer) | Subjective | 45 | Inadequate | Adequate | 8 weeks | <30 |
| Greenfield et al, 198814 | Hospital OPD, USA | Chronic disease (diabetes) | Objective | 73 | Inadequate | Adequate | 12 weeks | <30 |
| Kaplan et al, 198921 | Hospital OPD, USA | Chronic disease (hypertension) | Objective | 105 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 12 weeks | Missing |
| Thompson et al, 1990a20 | Primary care, USA | Other disease (gynecology) | Subjective | 66 | Adequate | Inadequate | Immediate | >30 |
| Thompson et al, 1990b20 | Primary care, USA | Other disease (gynecology) | Subjective | 105 | Adequate | Inadequate | Immediate | >30 |
| Butow et al, 199423 | Hospital OPD, Aus | Other disease (cancer) | Subjective | 142 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 3 weeks | >30 |
| Street et al, 199524 | Hospital OPD, USA | Other disease (breast cancer) | Subjective | 60 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 1 week | <30 |
| McCann & Weinman, 199625 | Primary care, UK | GP non specific disease | Satisfaction | 120 | Adequate | Adequate | Immediate | <30 |
| Davison & Degner, 199726 | Hospital OPD, Canada | Other disease (prostate cancer) | Subjective | 60 | Adequate | Inadequate | 6 weeks | <30 |
| Kravitz et al, 199727 | Primary care, USA | Other disease (not specified) | Satisfaction | 396 | Inadequate | Inadequate | Immediate | <30 |
| Fleissig et al, 199928 | Hospital OPD, UK | Other disease (not specified) | Satisfaction | 1,683 | Inadequate | Adequate | Immediate | >30 |
| Interventions delivered via practitioners | ||||||||
| Thomas, 197829 | Primary care, UK | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | 200 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 1 month | <30 |
| Schulman & Swain, 198030 | Hospital OPD, USA | Chronic disease (hypertension) | Satisfaction | 105 | Inadequate | Inadequate | Immediate | <30 |
| Evans et al, 198731 | Primary care, Aus | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | 400‡ | Inadequate | Inadequate | 4 weeks | Missing |
| Thomas, 198732 | Primary care, UK | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | 200 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 2 weeks | <30 |
| Olsson et al, 198933 | Primary care, Sweden | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | 100 | Adequate | Adequate | 2 days | <30 |
| Savage, 199039 | Primary care, UK | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | 350 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 1 week | >30 |
| Evans et al, 199235 | Hospital OPD, Aus | Other disease (not specified) | Satisfaction | Missing | Inadequate | Adequate | Immediate | Missing |
| Roter et al, 199513 | Primary care, USA | GP non specific disease | Subjective | 648 | Inadequate | Adequate | 6 months | <30 |
| Smith et al, 199536 | Primary care, USA | Other disease (not specified) | Satisfaction | 181 | Adequate | Inadequate | Immediate | Missing |
| Meland et al, 199737,38 | Primary care, Norway | Risk of disease (CHD) | Objective | 127 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 1 year | <30 |
| Kinmonth et al, 199839 | Primary care, UK | Chronic disease (diabetes) | Objective | 360 | Adequate | Adequate | 1 year | >30 |
| Pill et al, 199840 | Primary care, UK | Chronic disease (diabetes) | Objective | 190 | Adequate | Adequate | 18 months | <30 |
| Smith et al, 199841 | Primary care, USA | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | Missing | Inadequate | Adequate | 4 weeks | Missing |
| Peters et al, 199942 | Primary care, UK | Other disease (cervical dysplasia) | Subjective | 270 | Adequate | Adequate | 4 months | <30 |
| Thom et al, 199943 | Primary care, USA | GP nonspecific disease | Other health related | 414 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 6 months | <30 |
| Brown Betz et al, 199944 | Primary care, USA | GP nonspecific disease | Satisfaction | 4,941‡ | Adequate | Adequate | 3 months | <30 |
| Interventions delivered both to the patient and to the practitioner | ||||||||
| Lewis et al, 199145 | Primary care, USA | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | 141 | Inadequate | Adequate | Immediate | |
| Katon et al, 199546 | Primary care, USA | Chronic disease (depression) | Subjective | 217 | Inadequate | Adequate | 7 months | |
| Rubenstein et al, 199547 | Primary care, USA | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | 557 | Adequate | Adequate | 6 months | |
| Joos et al, 199648 | Hospital OPD, USA | Chronic disease (not specified) | Other health related | 409 | Inadequate | Inadequate | 12 months | <30 |
| Hornberger et al, 199749 | Primary care, USA | GP nonspecific disease | Subjective | 201 | Inadequate | Inadequate | Immediate | <30 |
| Wagner et al, 199750 | Hospital OPD, USA | Chronic disease (epilepsy) | Satisfaction | 163 | Adequate | Inadequate | Immediate | <30 |
| Maly et al, 199951 | Primary care, USA | Chronic disease not specified) | Subjective | 265 | Adequate | Adequate | 2 weeks | <30 |
| Reuben et al, 199952 | Community, USA | Other disease (multiple types) | Objective | 363 | Adequate | Adequate | 15 months | <30 |