Table 2 Characteristics of included studies: ‘normal’ randomised trials (n = 16)
First author, year | Participants/conditions | Interventions | Controls | Main outcomes | Unit random. | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Randomised trials investigating specific treatments (n = 11) | ||||||
Bleidorn, 2010 | Uncomplicated urinary tract infection | Ibuprofen | Ciprofloxacin | Symptom resolution at day 4 | Patient | 80 |
Bücker, 2010 | Acute, uncomplicated back pain | Handing out evidence-based back pain leaflet | Non-specific information | Functional capacity (Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire) | Patient | 189 |
du Moulin, 2009 | COPD | Home-based exercise training | No intervention | 6-minute walk test, quality of life, lung function | Patient | 20 |
Frese, 2012 | GP patients older than 70 years of age | Comprehensive geriatric assessment | Usual care | Mortality, nursing home admission | Patient | 1620 |
Gastpar, 2003 | Neurotic anxiety | Kava special extract WS 1490 | Placebo | Anxiety Status Inventory | Patient | 141 |
Hensler, 2009 | Common cold | Intramuscular autologous blood therapy | Placebo | Duration of cold | Patient | 139 |
Jobst, 2005 | Recurrent respiratory infections | Intramuscular autologous blood injection | Homeopathic complex remedy (Engystol®; Biologische Heilmittel Heel, Baden-Baden, Germany) | Sick days | Patient | 80 |
Klein, 2013 | Non-specific neck pain | Strain-counterstrain (osteopathic technique) | Sham intervention | Range of motion and pain intensity | Patient | 61 |
Peters-Klimm, 2010 | Chronic heart failure | Case management (telephone monitoring and home visits) | Usual care | Quality of life, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire | Patient | 199 |
Schencking, 2013 | Osteoarthritis (hip or knee) | Group 1: Kneipp hydrotherapy | Both | Pain intensity, quality of life, mobility | Patient | 30 |
Group 2: Conventional physiotherapy | ||||||
Voigt, 2011 | Migraine | Osteopathic manipulative treatment | No intervention | Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), quality of life, pain | Patient | 42 |
Randomised trials on other topics (n = 5) | ||||||
Bergold, 2013 | First-year residents | Online course in evidence-based medicine | Wait list | Knowledge gain | First-year resident | 120 |
Blank, 2013 | Medical students | Additional near-peer teaching for physical examination | Established curricular course only | Objective structured clinical examination | Medical student | 84 |
Butzlaff, 2004 | General practitioners | Access to computerized guidelines | No specific access | Knowledge gain | Physician | 72 |
Hoffmann, 2014 | Physicians and nurses of GP practices | Team-based patient safety culture assessment and intervention | Short, facultative seminar on error management | Error management | Practice | 65 |
Müller-Bühl, 2011 | Adult GP patients | Answering three questions before completing the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire | Completing the SF-36 as usual | Number of missing items | Patient | 215 |