Table 4 Randomised controlled trial:

1. Did the trial address a clearly focused research question?

2. Was the assignment of patients to interventions randomised?

3. Were all of the patients who entered the trial properly accounted for at its conclusion?

4. Were participants, investigators and people assessing/analysing outcome/s ‘blinded’ to intervention?

5.Were the groups similar at the start of the randomised controlled trial?

6. Apart from the experimental intervention, did each study group receive the same level of care (that is, were they treated equally)?

7. Were the effects of intervention reported comprehensively?

8. Was the precision of the estimate of the intervention or treatment effect reported?

9.Do the benefits of the experimental intervention outweigh the harms and costs?

10.Can the results be applied to your local population/in your context?

11.Would the experimental intervention provide greater value to the people in your care than any of the existing interventions?