Skip to main content

Table 1 Characteristics of 590 guidance documents by type of search methods

From: Insufficient uptake of systematic search methods in oncological clinical practice guideline: a systematic review

Characteristic

All

(n = 590)

SRb

(n = 168)

SRinsDTc

(n = 111)

SRnoDTd

(n = 26)

noSRe

(n = 121)

noLAf

(n = 164)

Year of validity

 2009

41 (6.9%)

4 (3.6%)

2 (7.7%)

7 (5.8%)

16 (9.8%)

12 (7.1%)

 2010

44 (7.5%)

6 (5.4%)

4 (15.4%)

9 (7.4%)

13 (7.9%)

12 (7.1%)

 2011

69 (11.7%)

17 (15.3%)

3 (11.5%)

8 (6.6%)

26 (15.8%)

15 (8.9%)

 2012

95 (16.1%)

22 (19.8%)

6 (23.1%)

22 (18.2%)

16 (9.8%)

29 (17.3%)

 2013

115 (19.5%)

27 (24.3%)

4 (15.4%)

28 (23.1%)

22 (13.4%)

34 (20.3%)

 2014

141 (23.9%)

20 (18.1%)

4 (15.4%)

30 (24.8%)

40 (24.4%)

47 (28.0%)

 2015a

85 (14.4%)

15 (13.5%)

3 (11.5%)

17 (14.1%)

31 (18.9%)

19 (11.3%)

Scope

 Broad

244 (41.4%)

29 (26.1%)

15 (57.7%)

74 (61.2%)

77 (47.0%)

49 (29.2%)

 Focused

346 (58.6%)

82 (73.9%)

11 (42.3%)

47 (38.8%)

87 (53.0%)

119 (70.8%)

Producer

 Government Agency

108 (18.3%)

10 (9.0%)

0

3 (2.5%)

6 (3.7%)

89 (53.0%)

 Independent Expert Panel

80 (13.5%)

11 (9.9%)

5 (19.2%)

27 (22.3%)

25 (15.2%)

12 (7.0%)

 Professional / Specialist Society

378 (64.1%)

83 (74.8%)

16 (61.6%)

88 (72.7%)

125 (76.2%)

66 (39.3%)

 Other

24 (4.1%)

7 (6.3%)

5 (19.2%)

3 (2.5%)

8 (4.9%)

1 (0.6%)

Continent

 Asia

52 (8.8%)

10 (9.0%)

6 (23.1%)

7 (5.8%)

24 (14.6%)

5 (2.9%)

 Oceania

14 (2.4%)

3 (2.7%)

1 (3.8%)

3 (2.5%)

2 (1.2%)

5 (2.9%)

 Europe

222 (37.6%)

18 (16.2%)

10 (38.5%)

78 (64.4%)

76 (46.3%)

40 (23.8%)

 North America

247 (41.9%)

71 (64.0%)

3 (11.5%)

19 (15.7%)

45 (27.5%)

109 (64.9%)

 South America

7 (1.2%)

2 (1.8%)

0

3 (2.5%)

1 (0.6%)

1 (0.6%)

 International

48 (8.1%)

7 (6.3%)

6 (23.1%)

11 (9.1%)

16 (9.8%)

8 (4.9%)

Neoplasm

 Anal cancer

9 (1.5%)

3 (2.7%)

0

1 (0.8%)

2 (1.2%)

3 (1.8%)

 Biliary cancer

12 (2.0%)

3 (2.7%)

6 (23.1%)

2 (1.7%)

1 (0.6%)

0

 Bladder cancer

27 (4.6%)

9 (8.1%)

2 (7.8%)

4 (3.3%)

5 (3.1%)

7 (4.2%)

 Breast cancer

45 (7.6%)

8 (7.2%)

3 (11.5%)

5 (4.1%)

14 (8.5%)

15 (8.9%)

 Cervical cancer

18 (3.0%)

4 (3.6%)

2 (7.8%)

3 (2.5%)

4 (2.4%)

5 (3.0%)

 Colorectal cancer

52 (8.8%)

12 (10.8%)

1 (3.8%)

12 (9.9%)

14 (8.5%)

13 (7.7%)

 Endometrial cancer

17 (2.9%)

5 (4.5%)

0

3 (2.5%)

3 (1.8%)

6 (3.5%)

 Esophageal cancer

15 (2.5%)

2 (1.8%)

0

4 (3.3%)

3 (1.8%)

6 (3.5%)

 Gastric cancer

18 (3.1%)

2 (1.8%)

0

4 (3.3%)

9 (5.5%)

3 (1.8%)

 Germ cell tumor

3 (0.5%)

0

0

1 (0.8%)

1 (0.6%)

1 (0.6%)

 Head and neck cancer

16 (2.7%)

0

1 (3.8%)

5 (4.1%)

7 (4.3%)

3 (1.8%)

 Hepatocellular carcinoma

29 (4.9%)

4 (3.6%)

2 (7.8%)

7 (5.8%)

10 (6.1%)

6 (3.5%)

 Incidentaloma

5 (0.9%)

2 (1.8%)

0

0

2 (1.2%)

1 (0.6%)

 Lung cancer

55 (9.3%)

10 (9.1%)

1 (3.8%)

7 (5.8%)

12 (7.3%)

25 (14.9%)

 Melanoma

20 (3.4%)

0

1 (3.8%)

4 (3.3%)

8 (4.9%)

7 (4.2%)

 Mesothelioma

8 (1.4%)

0

1 (3.8%)

1 (0.8%)

3 (1.8%)

3 (1.8%)

 Metastatic ab initio

4 (0.7%)

4 (3.6%)

0

0

0

0

 NETs

23 (3.9%)

3 (2.7%)

1 (3.8%)

9 (7.5%)

7 (4.3%)

3 (1.8%)

 Ovarian cancer

28 (4.8%)

4 (3.6%)

1 (3.8%)

7 (5.8%)

7 (4.3%)

9 (5.4%)

 Pancreatic cancer

17 (2.9%)

2 (1.8%)

1 (3.8%)

3 (2.5%)

6 (3.7%)

5 (3.0%)

 Penile cancer

5 (0.9%)

2 (1.8%)

0

1 (0.8%)

1 (0.6%)

1 (0.6%)

 Pleural disease

2 (0.3%)

0

0

0

0

2 (1.2%)

 Prostatic cancer

68 (11.5%)

15 (13.5%)

2 (7.8%)

12 (9.9%)

18 (11.0%)

21 (12.5%)

 Renal cancer

23 (3.9%)

5 (4.5%)

0

6 (5.0%)

6 (3.7%)

6 (3.5%)

 Testicular cancer

14 (2.4%)

1 (0.9%)

1 (3.8%)

5 (4.1%)

3 (1.8%)

4 (2.4%)

 Thyroid cancer

25 (4.2%)

7 (6.3%)

0

6 (5.0%)

5 (3.1%)

7 (4.2%)

 Unknown primary site

4 (0.7%)

0

0

1 (0.8%)

2 (1.2%)

1 (0.6%)

 Multiple cancer

25 (4.2%)

4 (3.6%)

0

8 (6.6%)

11 (6.7%)

2 (1.2%)

 Other

3 (0.5%)

0

0

0

0

3 (1.8%)

  1. aFrom January, 1st to July, 15th
  2. bSR = systematic search methods meeting our quality criteria; cSRinsDT = described systematic search methods did not meet our quality criteria; dSRnoDT = use of systematic search described, but no details provided; enoSR = literature analysis described, but not as systematic; fnoLA = no reference to any type of literature analysis