Table 1

Questionnaire for evaluation of QUADAS

a) Review details

b) Content of the tool:

• Did QUADAS cover all important items?

• Were any QUADAS items omitted, added or modified?

c) Background document:

• Was the background document easy to understand?

• Were scoring instructions understandable?

• Should any items have been scored differently?

d) Technical points

• How long did it take to complete QUADAS?

• Was inter-rater reliability assessed?

e) Overall conclusions

• Reviewers were asked to rate coverage, ease of use, clarity of instructions, and validity (whether QUADAS helped to distinguish between studies of different qualities) on a five point scale

• Would you us QUADAS again?

f) Additional questions

• How were the results of quality incorporated into the review?

• Was a training session organised to ensure reviewers applied the tool consistently?

• Reviewer details, including age, experience, professional background

• Have you previously been involved in the quality assessment of studies included in a systematic review?

g) Final comments

Whiting et al. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2006 6:9   doi:10.1186/1471-2288-6-9