N (%) | |
Publication year | |
1999–2010 | 46 (29.9) |
2011–2022 | 108 (70.1) |
Language of publication | |
English | 136 (88.3) |
Spanish | 11 (7.1) |
Turkish | 5 (3.2) |
Mandarin | 1 (0.7) |
Persian | 1 (0.7) |
Income group | |
Single country | 142 (92.2) |
Low income | 14 (9.1) |
Lower middle income | 59 (38.3) |
Upper middle income | 69 (44.8) |
Multiple countries | 12 (7.8) |
Study design | |
Interventional (e.g., RCT) | 17 (11.0) |
Randomised trials (e.g., cluster RCTs) | 13 (8.4) |
Observational (e.g., cross-sectional) | 125 (81.2) |
Cross sectional (e.g., survey) | 78 (50.6) |
Prospective cohort | 34 (22.1) |
Secondary research (e.g., review) | 9 (5.8) |
Analysis approach | |
Quantitative | 125 (81.2) |
Qualitative | 23 (14.9) |
Mixed | 6 (3.9) |
Condition | |
Malaria and other infectious | 61 (39.6) |
Thyroid cancer and other cancers | 25 (16.2) |
Heart and lung diseases | 15 (9.7) |
Diabetes | 4 (2.6) |
Mental illnesses | 2 (1.3) |
Other | 8 (5.2) |
Not specified | 39 (25.3) |
Diagnostic or screening tests | |
Imaging (e.g., CT scan, MRI) | 25 (16.2) |
CT scan (e.g., multidetector CT) | 7 (4.5) |
MRI (e.g., multiparametric MRI) | 8 (5.2) |
X-ray (e.g., mammography, DXA) & US | 6 (3.9) |
Multiple imaging types | 4 (2.6) |
Lab investigations (e.g., blood tests) | 18 (11.7) |
Blood tests (e.g., full blood count, lipid) | 9 (5.8) |
Serological tests (e.g., hepatitis, HIV tests) | 5 (3.2) |
Others (e.g., tumour markers, d-dimer) | 4 (2.6) |
Procedures (e.g., colonoscopy) | 14 (10.1) |
Endoscopies (e.g., colonoscopies) | 9 (6.2) |
Urogenital (e.g., prostate biopsies and pap smears) | 3 (1.9) |
Others (e.g., coronary angiographies) | 2 (1.3) |
Not specified | 97 (62.2) |
Financial implications mentioned | |
Considered | 29 (18.8) |
Not considered | 125 (81.2) |
Main contexts | |
Overdiagnosis | 70 (45.5) |
Overuse of tests | 61 (39.6) |
Both | 23 (14.9) |
DXA, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; RCT, randomised controlled trials; US, ultrasound scan.