The outcomes section of the template is designed to record numerical data for outcomes of interest and additional information about how each outcome was defined and measured.

 

Adding outcomes and timepoints

Outcomes can be added to the template. When adding an outcome, three required fields need to be completed:

  • Name - the outcome title as defined in the protocol or review plan which will be sought from included studies
  • Type - whether the outcome is continuous or dichotomous
  • Timepoints - the timepoints of interest to the review such as baseline, end of study, or specific durations (e.g. Baseline, 12 weeks, end of study as shown).

When extracting outcome data for a study, a table will be created to enter the result data of an outcome as shown below.

Defining default measures

On the template you can set default continuous and dichotomous measures that will define how outcome tables appear for each study. 

These can be edited by the 1st Reviewer during extraction of a study to capture the data the study reports. You can do this by clicking the edit icon in the top left of an outcome table, as circled above.

Only the 1st Reviewer can edit the outcome table. If you are the 2nd Reviewer and want to edit the outcome table you can check who the 1st Reviewer is on the study list and ask them to make any relevant changes. If needed, you can change the 1st Reviewer by clicking "Manage Reviewers".

 

Capturing outcome details

The template includes a range of default fields that can’t be removed from the template. These fields allow you to capture information on how each outcome was defined and measured in a study.

  • Outcome name - pre-populated from the outcome names added to the template.
  • Outcome type - pre-populated from the outcome type added to the template.
  • Reported against - gives the option to select whether the reported data are reported for each arm separately or as an effect estimate. The selection option will change the structure of the table accordingly.
  • Reported as - gives the option to change the measure so you capture data in the format they are reported in the study
  • Outcome group - a means of categorizing outcomes, such as for the purpose of risk of bias (e.g. subjective outcomes and objective outcomes, patient reported outcomes, etc.).
  • Outcome reporting - dropdown options to capture how fully the outcome is reported
  • Scale - to capture details about the type of scale used to measure the outcome
  • Range - the upper and lower limits of the scale
  • Unit of measurement - for example days, centimetres, litres
  • Direction - whether higher or lower scores indicate improvement
  • Data value - whether the data are change from baseline or endpoint scores
  • Notes