Appendix 1. CENTRAL search strategy

#1 MeSH descriptor Ambulatory Surgical Procedures
#2 MeSH descriptor Ambulatory Care
#3 MeSH descriptor Outpatient Clinics, Hospital
#4 day*
#5 car* OR case* OR surg*
#6 (#4 AND #5)
#7 (outpatient* or out‐patient* (out next patient*))
#8 (#1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #6 OR #7)
#9 MeSH descriptor Hospitalization
#10 (inpatient* or in‐patient*)
#11 hospital*
#12 (overnight* or over‐night or (over next night*))
#13 (#9 OR #10 OR #11 OR #12)
#14 (#8 AND #13)
#15 MeSH descriptor Cataract
#16 cataract*
#17 (#15 OR #16)
#18 (#14 AND #17)

Appendix 2. MEDLINE (Ovid) search strategy

1 randomized controlled trial.pt.
2 (randomized or randomised).ab,ti.
3 placebo.ab,ti.
4 dt.fs.
5 randomly.ab,ti.
6 trial.ab,ti.
7 groups.ab,ti. )
8 or/1‐7
9 exp animals/
10 exp humans/
11 9 not (9 and 10)
12 8 not 11
13 exp ambulatory surgical procedures/
14 exp ambulatory care/
15 exp outpatient clinics hospital/
16 (day adj3 (care or case$ or surger$)).tw.
17 outpatient$.tw.
18 or/13‐17
19 exp hospitalization/
20 (in?patient$ or hospital$ or over?night or over night).tw.
21 or/19‐20
22 exp cataract extraction/
23 cataract$.tw.
24 or/22‐23
25 18 and 21 and 24
26 12 and 25

The search filter for trials at the beginning of the MEDLINE strategy is from the published paper by Glanville (Glanville 2006).

Appendix 3. EMBASE (Ovid) search strategy

1 exp randomized controlled trial/
2 exp randomization/
3 exp double blind procedure/
4 exp single blind procedure/
5 random$.tw.
6 or/1‐5
7 (animal or animal experiment).sh.
8 human.sh.
9 7 and 8
10 7 not 9
11 6 not 10
12 exp clinical trial/
13 (clin$ adj3 trial$).tw.
14 ((singl$ or doubl$ or trebl$ or tripl$) adj3 (blind$ or mask$)).tw.
15 exp placebo/
16 placebo$.tw.
17 random$.tw.
18 exp experimental design/
19 exp crossover procedure/
20 exp control group/
21 exp latin square design/
22 or/12‐21
23 22 not 10
24 23 not 11
25 exp comparative study/
26 exp evaluation/
27 exp prospective study/
28 (control$ or prospectiv$ or volunteer$).tw.
29 or/25‐28
30 29 not 10
31 30 not (11 or 23)
32 11 or 24 or 31
33 exp ambulatory surgery/
34 exp outpatient care/
35 (day adj3 (care or case$ or surger$)).tw.
36 outpatient$.tw.
37 or/33‐36
38 exp hospitalization/
39 (in?patient$ or hospital$ or over?night or over night).tw.
40 or/38‐39
41 exp cataract/
42 cataract$.tw.
43 or/41‐42
44 37 and 40 and 43
45 32 and 44

Appendix 4. LILACS search strategy

cataract$ and day and hospital$

Appendix 5. ISRCTN search strategy

cataract and day

Appendix 6. ClinicalTrials.gov search strategy

Cataract AND Day AND Hospital

Appendix 7. ICTRP search strategy

cataract AND day AND hospital