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Table 3 Summary of included studies

From: The challenge of equipoise in trials with a surgical and non-surgical comparison: a qualitative synthesis using meta-ethnography

Characteristics of studies

Number of studies n = 26

Country:

 UK

24

[67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75, 77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91]

 Sweden/Finland/Iceland

2

[66, 76]

Perspective:

 

 Healthcare professionals only

6

[68, 73,74,75, 77, 90, 91]

 Patients only

9

[71, 72, 76, 79, 81,82,83,84, 88]

 Healthcare professionals and patients

11

[66, 67, 69, 70, 78, 80, 85,86,87, 89]

Speciality area:

 Oncology

20

[66,67,68, 71,72,73, 75, 78, 83, 85, 86, 89,90,91]

 Orthopaedics

7

[76, 77, 79, 80, 85, 87, 88]

 Urology

2

[74, 81]

 Ophthalmology

1

[82]

 Obstetrics

1

[84]

 Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT)

2

[69, 70]

Types of comparison:

 Surgery versus no active intervention

1

[66]

 Surgery versus medical management**

13

[67, 68, 72,73,74,75, 82, 84, 86, 89,90,91]

 Surgery versus deferred surgery**

2

[69, 70]

 Surgery versus medical management versus active monitoring**

5

[71, 78, 83, 89,90,91]

 Surgery versus physiotherapy/exercise component**

5

[76, 77, 79, 80, 87]

 Surgery versus placebo versus active monitoring

1

[85]

 Surgery versus closed contact casting

1

[88]

 Surgery versus medical management versus no active intervention

1

[81]

Data collection:

 Qualitative interviews only

16

[66, 69, 70, 72, 74,75,76,77, 79,80,81, 83, 84, 88, 90, 91]

 Mixed qualitative methods**

5

[67, 68, 73, 80, 85, 86]

 Focus groups

1

[82]

 Audio recordings of recruitment appointments

4

[71, 78, 87, 89]

  1. * Includes more than one paper reporting on the same trial
  2. **Mixed qualitative methods, interviews combined with the following: audio recordings of recruitment appointments, focus groups