Risk of Bias and Quality of Evidence Assessment

The Methodological Index for Non Randomized Studies (MINORS) criteria were used to assess the risk of bias and quality of all included case series and cohort studies. ³³ The MINORS criteria comprises a 12-item checklist, each item given a score of 0 (not reported), 1 (inadequately reported), or 2 (adequately reported). The studies were scored against a maximum of 16 points for noncomparative studies and 24 points for comparative studies. The quality of randomized controlled trials was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist. This consists of a 13-item checklist, with each item scored using either “yes,” “no,” or “not reported.” ²³