Table 6 Joanna Briggs Institute’s critical appraisal checklist of randomised controlled trials for study quality assessment. [25]

Selected RCT studies strengths and limitations (n = 3)

Studies

Was true randomisation used for assignment of participants to treatment groups

Was allocation to treatment groups concealed

Were treatment groups similar at the baseline

Were participants blind to treatment assignment

Were those delivering treatment blind to treatment assignment

Were outcomes assessors blind to treatment assignment

Were treatment groups treated identically other than the intervention of interest

Was follow up complete and if not, were differences between groups in terms of their follow up adequately described and analysed

Were participants analysed in the groups to which they were randomised

Were outcomes measured in the same way for treatment groups

Were outcomes measured in a reliable way

Was appropriate statistical analysis used

Was the trial design appropriate, and any deviations from the standard RCT design (individual randomisation, parallel groups) accounted for in the conduct and analysis of the trial