Table 2

Selection criteria for studies to be included in the systematic review

PICOS itemInclusion criteriaExclusion criteria
P-populationStudies involving HIV-infected TB patients (adults) initiating ART in integrated care OR adults living with HIV/AIDS already on ART who are newly diagnosed with TB in SSAStudies involving

  • Pregnant women and children

  • Studies conducted out of SSA

I-interventionStudies on uptake of and adherence to ART in the setting of integrated therapy for TB and HIV.

  • Studies describing uptake of and adherence to ART in non-integrated treatment settings

  • Studies on integrated treatment beyond TB and HIV

C-comparison  
O-outcome(s)

  1. Barriers to uptake of and adherence to ART

  2. Enablers of uptake of and adherence to ART

  3. Rates of uptake of and adherence to ART

Studies that do not describe at least one of: barriers, enablers or determinants of uptake/adherence.
S-study designRandomised trials, observational studies, quantitative studies and qualitative studies conducted in hospital and community settings.

  1. Mini-reviews, editorials, letters to editors, conference abstracts, commentaries, short communications

  2. Abstracts whose full data would not be available even on requesting from the author

  3. Unpublished manuscripts and conference abstracts

  4. Duplicate studies: for studies published with the same or different titles or in more than one journal, the most updated version shall be considered.

  • ART, antiretroviral therapy; PICOS, population, intervention, comparison, outcome and study; SSA, sub-Saharan Africa; TB, tuberculosis.