Table 1 Characteristics of the included studies

Morgan et al. 2006 [25]

Gynecologists (397)

125/92

NA

Obstetrics-gynaecology partnership or group (44.2%)

Solo practice (27%)

Multispecialty group (14.9%)

University full-time faculty and practice (10.7%)

Health maintenance organisation (3.3%)

US

Anderson et al. 2009 [28]

Gynecologists (251)

143/108

Mean (SD): 22 (11)

Private practice (178)

Community hospital (25)

University hospital (30)

Other (16)

US

Wang et al. 2009 [27]

Ophthalmology trainees (122):

1^st year residents (32)

2^nd year residents (44)

3^rd year residents (28)

Fellows (17)

Unknown (1)

NA

NA

NA

US

Misra et al. 2010 [24]

Psychiatry trainees (17):

Residents (12)

Fellow trainee (5)

Psychiatry faculty (58):

Assistant professor (21)

Associate professor (6)

Professors (13)

NA

NA

Academic medical centre

US

Fischer et al. 2009 [34]

Internal medicine (29)

Family medicine (17)

Pediatric medicine (2)

Geriatric medicine (3)

23/38

15

Academic affiliation (21)

Community-based practice (24)

Academic affiliation & community-based practice (8)

Other (8)

US

Brett et al. 2003 [23]

Residents (39)

Faculty physicians (37)

49/27

NA

Medical school

US

Sarikaya et al. 2009 [32]

Medical students

2nd year students (280)

3rd year medical students (308)

168/140

NA

Marmara University School of Medicine (MUSM)

Ege University School of Medicine (EUSM)

Turkey

Saito et al. 2010 [26]

Internal medicine (214)

General surgery (181)

Orthopedic surgery (177)

Pediatrics (221)

Obstetrics (210)

Psychiatry (197)

Ophthalmology (209)

1084/326

<10 (339)

11–20 (488)

21–30 (428)

>31 (155)

Office (822)

Hospital (588)

Japan

Roy et al. 2003

Senior executives in drug companies (15)

PRs (36)

Physicians (25)

Chemists (25)

India

Alssageer et al. 2013 [31]

General Practitioner (GP) (274)

Surgeon (99)

Resident MO (41)

Anesthesiologist (61)

Specialist (91)

Others (42)

371/237

1-3 (288)

4–6 (82)

7–9 (45)

>10 (193)

Public (512)

Private (34)

Both (62)

Libya

Alssageer et al. 2012 [22]

GP (274)

Surgeon (99)

Resident MO (41)

Anesthesiologist (61)

Specialist (91)

Others (42)

371/237

1-3 (288)

4–6 (82)

7–9 (45)

>10 (193)

Public (512)

Private (34)

Both (62)

Libya

Prosser et al. 2003 [33]

GP (107)

76/31

<10 (6)

11–20 (55)

>20 (46)

Health authorities in the North West of England (107)

UK

Al-Areef et al. 2013 [21]

Physicians (32)

(interns, GPs/medical officers, residents

and specialists)

4/28

NA

NA

Yemen

Lieb et al. 2010 [29]

Neurologists/psychiatrists (83)

Primary care physicians (76)

cardiologist (49)

104/98

Unknown gender (6)

NA

NA

Germany

De Ferrari et al. 2014 [9]

Internal medicine (59)

General surgery (32)

Pediatrics (28)

Anesthesiologist (13)

Obstetrics (16)

96/52

NA

Peruvian public general hospital.

Peru