Table 2 Summary of methods used in review papers stratified by study geography and dimensions
From: Access to specialty healthcare in urban versus rural US populations: a systematic literature review
Method | Total % (n) | Geography % (n) | Dimensions % (n) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rural | Urban | Both | System | Patient | New | ||
Quantitative | 76.1 (51) | 25.4 (17) | 23.9 (16) | 26.9 (18) | 41.0 (34) | 15.7 (13) | 14.5 (12) |
 Database | 22.4 (15) | 7.5 (5) | 1.5 (1) | 13.4 (9) | 19.4 (13) | 1.5 (1) | 4.5 (5) |
 Survey | 19.4 (13) | 3.0 (2) | 10.5 (7) | 6.0 (4) | 6.0 (4) | 13.4 (9) | 6.0 (4) |
 Improvement | 7.5 (5) | 4.5 (3) | 1.5 (1) | 1.5 (1) | 4.5 (3) | 1.5 (1) | 1.5 (1) |
 Retrospective | 19.4 (13) | 11.9 (8) | 7.5 (5) | 3.0 (2) | 13.4 (9) | 6.0 (4) | 3.0 (2) |
 Modeling | 4.5 (3) | --- | 1.5 (1) | 3.0 (2) | 4.5 (3) | --- | --- |
 Other | 6.0 (4) | 1.5 (1) | 3.0 (2) | 1.5 (1) | 6.0 (4) | --- | --- |
Qualitative | 19.4 (13) | 10.5 (7) | 9.0 (6) | --- | 9.6 (8) | 6.0 (5) | 1.2 (1) |
 Interviews | 11.9 (8) | 7.5 (5) | 4.5 (3) | --- | 7.5 (5) | 3.0 (2) | 6.0 (4) |
 Focus groups | 6.0 (4) | 3.0 (2) | 3.0 (2) | --- | 3.0 (2) | 6.0 (4) | 1.5 (1) |
 Surveys | 1.5 (1) | --- | 1.5 (1) | --- | --- | --- | 1.5 (1) |
 Other | 3.0 (2) | --- | 3.0 (2) | --- | 1.5 (1) | --- | 1.5 (1) |
Mixed-methods | 4.5 (3) | 3.0 (2) | --- | 1.5 (1) | 2.4 (2) | 1.2 (1) | 1.2 (1) |