Testing a tool for the classification of study designs in systematic reviews of interventions and exposures showed moderate reliability and low accuracy

OBJECTIVES: To develop and test a study design classification tool. STUDY DESIGN: We contacted relevant organizations and individuals to identify tools used to classify study designs and ranked these using predefined criteria. The highest ranked tool was a design algorithm developed, but no longer advocated, by the Cochrane Non-Randomized Studies Methods Group; this was modified to include additional study designs and decision points. We …