Table 1 Quality assessment components and ratings for the EPHPP Instrument (Adapted with permission of the author) [19]
Components | Strong | Moderate | Weak |
|---|---|---|---|
Selection Bias | Very likely to be representative of the target population and participation rate >80% | Somewhat likely to pre representative of the target population and participation rate between 60 to 79% | All other responses or not stated |
Study design | Randomized controlled trial or controlled clinical trial | Cohort analytic, case control, cohort or an interrupted time series | All other designs or design not stated |
Confounders | Controlled for at least 80% of confounders | Controlled for at least 60 to 79% of confounders | Confounders not controlled for or not stated |
Blinding | Blinding of outcome assessors and study participants to intervention status and/or research question | Blinding of either outcome assessors or study participants | Outcome assessors and study participants are aware of intervention status and/or research question |
Data collection methods | Tools shown to be valid and reliable | Tools shown to be valid but reliability not described | No evidenced of validity or reliability |
Withdrawals and dropouts | Participants completing study (or follow-up rate) >80% | Participants completing study (or follow-up rate) between 60 to 79% | Participants completing study (or follow-up rate) <60% or withdrawals and dropouts not described |