Category | Description | Examples | Number of comparisons, n (%) (n=120) | Number of papers (%) (n=94) | ||
Results | Conclusions | Results | Conclusions | |||
1 | Statement of no difference between treatments. | “did not differ,” “no difference,” “no effect,” “no change.” | 9 (7.5) | 5 (4.2) | 7 (7.4) | 1 (1.1) |
2 | Statement that there was no difference between treatment, qualified by reference to statistical significance. | “no significant difference,” “not statistically different,” “not statistically significant,” “no significant effect.” | 38 (31.7) | 16 (13.3) | 29 (30.9) | 15 (16.0) |
3 | Statement that there was no difference between treatments, qualified by something other than statistical significance. | “no substantial difference,” “no clinically relevant difference.” | 3 (2.5) | 1 (0.8) | 2 (2.1) | 1 (1.1) |
4 | Statement that the intervention was not beneficial. | “did not result in increase (or decrease or improve),” “was not superior,” “did not increase (or decrease or improve),” “did not prevent.” | 7 (5.8) | 65 (54.2) | 3 (3.2) | 50 (53.2) |
5 | Statement that the intervention was not beneficial, qualified by reference to statistical significance. | “not significantly better (or worse),” “did not significantly increase (or decrease),” “not statistically increased (or decreased).” | 2 (1.7) | 14 (11.7) | 2 (2.1) | 12 (12.8) |
6 | Statement that the intervention was not beneficial, qualified by reference to something other than statistical significance. | “not substantially increased (or decreased).” | 0 (0) | 3 (2.5) | 0 (0) | 2 (2.1) |
7 | Statement that there was a lack of evidence for a difference. | “no evidence that (intervention) reduced the risk of (outcome).” | 0 (0) | 2 (1.7) | 0 (0) | 2 (2.1) |
8 | Statement that the treatments compared were similar. | “yield similar outcomes” “similar risk of [outcome]” “rate of [outcome] was similar.” | 3 (2.5) | 7 (5.8) | 3 (3.2) | 4 (4.3) |
9 | Quotation of the results, without any claim about the size or direction of effect. | Estimate and 95% CI. | 58 (48.3) | 4 (3.3) | 48 (51.1) | 4 (4.3) |
10 | Clinical recommendation, without interpretation of results. | “There is no harm in (using intervention)” “The choice between (interventions) should be made based on clinical knowledge.” | 0 (0) | 3 (2.5) | 0 (0) | 3 (3.2) |