Table 2 Characteristics of the RCT reports from which primary qualitative studies sourced participants
N = 42 (100.0%) | |
|---|---|
RCT characteristics | |
Clinical setting | |
Primary (home/GP/community based) | 4 (9.5%) |
Secondary (hospital based) | 27 (64.3%) |
Tertiary (specialized academic health facility based) | 11 (26.2%) |
Geographical location | |
Europe | 33 (78.6%) |
America (USA and Central) | 1 (2.4%) |
Africa | 3 (7.1%) |
Asia | 1 (2.4%) |
Oceania | 1 (2.4%) |
Multi-continental | 3 (7.1%) |
RCT funding sources/sponsorship | |
Non-profit/academic/public organizations | 40 (95.0%) |
Blinding of patients | |
Yes | 13 (31.0%) |
Number of trial arms | |
2 | 34 (81.0%) |
3 | 7 (16.7%) |
4 | 1 (2.4%) |
Intervention ** | |
Drug (topical, oral, SC, IM, IV) | 22 (52.4%) |
Surgical procedure | 4 (9.5%) |
Participative (psychological, physical, educational, palliative, rehabilitative) | 11 (26.2%) |
Other | 5 (11.9%) |
Comparator** | |
Placebo/Sham treatment | 11 (26.2%) |
Usual care/no treatment | 18 (42.8%) |
Active treatment | 13 (31.0%) |
Number of patients randomized | |
Mean (SD); n*** | 1199 (1999); 46,748 |
Issues with RCT? | |
None reported*** | 32 (76.2%) |
Suboptimal recruitment (slow accrual, unwilling to be randomized, high refusal rate, regulatory delays, lack of eligible patients) | 8 (19.0%) |
Informed consent in an emergency | 2 (4.8%) |