Supplemental Table 3: Jadad scoring for the included randomised controlled trials (n = 22)
Study; first author & year of publication
Randomisation (2, 1, 0 pts)
Blinding (2, 1, 0 pts)
Accounting for all patients (1 pt)
Total modified Jadad score (max 3 pts)
Low quality (0, 1 or 2 pts) or high quality (3 pts)
Andrews 2015 2 0 1 3 High
Clifton 1993 2 0 1 3 High
Clifton 2001 0 0 0 0 Low
Clifton 2011 2 0 1 3 High
Gal 2002 1 – inadequate 0 0 1 Low
Guo 2004 0 0 1 1 Low
Hashigushi 2003 1 – method not stated
0 1 2 Low
Hirayama 1994 0 0 0 0 Low
Jiang 2000 0 0 0 0 Low
Lee 2010 0 0 0 0 Low
Liu 2006 2 0 0 2 Low
Maekawa 2015 2 0 1 3 High
Marion 1993 2 0 1 3 High
Marion 1997 2 0 1 3 High
Qui 2005 0 0 1 1 Low
Qiu 2007 1 – unclear if adequate
0 1 2 Low
Shiozaki 1993 1 - inadequate 0 1 2 Low
Shiozaki 1999 1 – inadequate 0 1 2 Low
Smrcka 2005 0 0 1 1 Low
Tang 2017 2 0 0 2 Low
Zhao 2011 0 0 0 0 Low
Zhi 2003 0 0 1 1 Low
A modified Jadad score was used to assess the quality of the included RCTs. Blinding was not possible due to the nature of the intervention. Regarding randomisation: 1-point was awarded for randomisation being
mentioned, a further 1-point if randomisation was appropriate. No points were awarded if randomisation was not stated. Then, 1-point was given if all patients entered into the trial are accounted for at the end of the trial.
This gave a maximum modified quality score of 3 points per RCT. Studies scoring 0, 1 or 2 points were considered low quality, with those scoring 3 points considered high quality. The quality of included RCTs was also assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing the risk of bias.
