scholarly journals Using the CONSORT statement to evaluate the completeness of reporting of addiction randomised trials: a cross-sectional review

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e032024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Vassar ◽  
Sam Jellison ◽  
Hannah Wendelbo ◽  
Cole Wayant ◽  
Harrison Gray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Consort Statement ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Consort Statement ◽  
Pubmed Search ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Poor Reporting ◽  
Completeness Of Reporting

ObjectivesEvaluate the completeness of reporting of addiction randomised controlled trials (RCTs) using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement.SettingNot applicable.ParticipantsRCTs identified using a PubMed search of 15 addiction journals and a 5-year cross-section.Outcome measuresCompleteness of reporting.ResultsOur analysis of 394 addiction RCTs found that the mean number of CONSORT items reported was 19.2 (SD 5.2), out of a possible 31. Twelve items were reported in <50% of RCTs; similarly, 12 items were reported in >75% of RCTs. Journal endorsement of CONSORT was found to improve the number of CONSORT items reported.ConclusionsPoor reporting quality may prohibit readers from critically appraising the methodological quality of addiction trials. We recommend journal endorsement of CONSORT since our study and those previous have shown that CONSORT endorsement improves the quality of reporting.

Assessment of Reporting Quality in Randomised Controlled Trials of Acupuncture for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Using the Consort Statement and Stricta Guidelines

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingchun Zeng ◽  
Guohua Lin ◽  
Lixia Li ◽  
Liming Lu ◽  
Chuyun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stroke Rehabilitation ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trials ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Consort Statement ◽  
Allocation Concealment ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Objectives To evaluate the completeness of reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for post-stroke rehabilitation in order to provide information to facilitate transparent and more complete reporting of acupuncture RCTs in this field. Methods Multiple databases were searched from their inception through September 2015. Quality of reporting for included papers was assessed against a subset of criteria adapted from the Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010 statement and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines. Each item was scored 1 if it was reported, or 0 if it was not clearly stated. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Cohen's κ-statistics were calculated to assess agreement between the two reviewers. Results A total of 87 RCTs were included in the full text. Based on CONSORT, good reporting was evident for items “Randomised’ in the title or abstract’, ‘Participants’, ‘Statistical methods’, ‘Recruitment’, ‘Baseline data’, and ‘Outcomes and estimation’, with positive rates >80%. However, the quality of reporting for the items ‘Trial design’, ‘Outcomes’, ‘Sample size’, ‘Allocation concealment’, ‘Implementation’, ‘Blinding’, ‘Flow chart’, ‘Intent-to-treat analysis’, and ‘Ancillary analyses’ was very poor with positive rates <10%. Based on STRICTA, the items ‘Number of needle insertions per subject per session’, ‘Responses sought’, and ‘Needle type’ had poor reporting with positive rates <50%. Substantial agreement was observed for most items and good agreement was observed for some items. Conclusions The reporting quality of RCTs in acupuncture for post-stroke rehabilitation is unsatisfactory and needs improvement.

scholarly journals Protocol of investigation into reporting quality of RCT abstracts on COVID-19 pursuant to CONSORT (CoCo study)—a review

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Tulka ◽  
Christine Baulig ◽  
Stephanie Knippschild
Keyword(s):  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Consort Statement ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The Consort Statement

Abstract Background In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic developed into a global crisis, the enormity and urgency of which accelerated research activities in the field. At the same time, manuscripts describing these research projects underwent fast-track peer review procedures and were published in freely accessible formats. Although full texts about COVID-19 are currently available for free, abstracts continue to play a key role since they provide essential information and possibly a decision basis for therapies. Abstracts are particularly important in case the full texts are not free, not all reports have been published in English and in emergency situations when there is less time for comprehensive analysis of all full texts. It is therefore necessary to ensure that abstracts—as publications in miniature format—contain comprehensive and transparent information. The CONSORT statement for abstracts (CONSORT-A) offers guidelines to authors how to include all necessary information in an abstract. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quality of reporting in medical research had already been the object of debate and criticism. The current crisis makes comprehensive documentation all the more important. Abstracts of COVID-19 RCTs should therefore report the criteria listed in the CONSORT-A statement fully and verifiably. The objective of this study is to check the completeness of abstracts of all COVID-19 RTCs published to date. Methods Based on a literature search in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library, all publications up to 29 October 2020 are identified and examined in terms of the subject matter (reported results from COVID-19 studies) and their study design (RTC). Subsequently, suitable publications are examined for completeness and quality of abstracts. The CONSORT checklist for RTC abstracts serves as a basis in this procedure. The primary endpoint of the study is the percentage of correctly implemented items of the CONSORT statement for abstracts. The frequency of correct reporting of each individual item is checked in a second step. Discussion The study is expected to contribute to evaluating the reporting quality on COVID-19 studies, and specifically the completeness of abstracts of RTCs. It may thus support the assessment of current research into COVID-19. Trial registration Registration was not required as the study investigated existing literature.

The quality of reporting RCT abstracts in four major orthodontics journals for the period 2012–2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahad Alharbi ◽  
Mohammed Almuzian
Keyword(s):  
Reporting Quality ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Consort Statement ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Author Contact ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Dentofacial Orthopedics ◽  
Abstract Reporting

Introduction: Clear reporting of the abstracts of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) facilitates the assessment and identification of such trials. Aim: To assess whether authors in the orthodontic field of research currently report RCT abstracts adequately, as defined by the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement. Design: An observational retrospective study. Methods: Electronic searches with supplementary hand searching were undertaken to identify RCTs published in (1) American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics ( AJO-DO), (2) Angle Orthodontist ( AO), (3) European Journal of Orthodontics ( EJO) and (4) Journal of Orthodontics ( JO) for the period from January 2012 to December 2017. The completeness of the abstract reporting was evaluated using a modified CONSORT for abstract statement checklist. Results: A total of 3678 articles were retrieved, but only 224 RCT abstracts were identified and assessed. A high volume of RCTs were published with either the AO (39%) or AJO-DO (32%); the majority of the RCT abstracts (93.6%) were structured. The mean overall abstract reporting quality score was 69.1% (95% confidence interval = 67.5–70.7). In relation to individual quality items, the majority of the RCT abstracts (range = 96–100%) demonstrated clear reporting of the author/contact details, trial design, participants, interventions, objectives, outcomes, number of participants randomised to each group, recruitment, results and conclusions. However, reporting of the title, trial registration, funding and number of analysed participants were only moderately adequate and reporting of the assessment of blinding and adverse events were the least-reported items in the identified abstracts. Conclusions: As several CONSORT reporting items were poorly reported, it is the responsibility of authors, referees and editors alike to ensure that the CONSORT guidelines are followed.

Quality of reporting in abstracts of RCTs published in emergency medicine journals: a systematic survey of the literature suggests we can do better

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 660-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Germini ◽  
Maura Marcucci ◽  
Marta Fedele ◽  
Maria Giulia Galli ◽  
Tevin Heath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Consort Statement ◽  
Pharmacological Interventions ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
The Consort Statement ◽  
Size Type ◽  
Randomised Controlled

ObjectiveWe investigated the association between the publication of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials extension for abstracts (CONSORT-EA) and other variables of interest on the quality of reporting of abstracts of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in emergency medicine (EM) journals.MethodsWe performed a survey of the literature, comparing the quality of reporting before (2005–2007) with after (2014–2015) the publication of the dedicated CONSORT-EA in 2008. The quality of reporting was measured as the sum of items of the CONSORT-EA checklist reported in each abstract, ranging from 0 to 15. The main explanatory variable was the period of publication: pre-CONSORT-EA versus post-CONSORT-EA public. Other explanatory variables were journal’s endorsement of the CONSORT statement, number of centres participating in the study, study’s sample size, type of intervention, significance of results, source of funding and study setting. We analysed the data using generalised estimation equations, performing a univariate and a multivariable analysis.ResultsWe retrieved 844 articles, and randomly selected 60 per period for review, after stratifying for journal. The mean (SD) number of items reported was 6.4 (1.9) in the period before and 6.9 (1.8) in the period after the publication of the CONSORT-EA, with an adjusted mean difference (aMD) of 0.47 (95% CI −0.13 to 1.06). Abstracts of trials of pharmacological interventions had a significantly larger mean number of reported items than those of trials of non-pharmacological interventions (aMD 1.59; 95% CI 0.94 to 2.24).ConclusionsThe quality of reporting in abstracts of RCTs published in EM journals is low and was not significantly impacted by the publication of a dedicated CONSORT-EA.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Reporting Quality in Randomised Controlled Trials of Acupuncture for Acute Herpes Zoster by the CONSORT Statement and STRICTA Guidelines

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Guifeng Qian ◽  
Jingchun Zeng ◽  
Liming Lu ◽  
Wenya Pei ◽  
Kun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Zoster ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trials ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Consort Statement ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Acute Herpes Zoster ◽  
The Consort Statement ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Objective. To explore the methods for improving the reporting quality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture through evaluating the reporting quality in RCTs of acupuncture for acute herpes zoster by the CONSORT statement and STRICTA guidelines. Methods. English and Chinese databases were searched from database creation until October 2018 and updated to July 2019. The basic characteristics and methodological quality of the literatures included were evaluated based on the CONSORT statement and the STRICTA guidelines. Descriptive statistical analysis was used in this study. The agreement between the two researchers of all items was calculated by Cohen’s kappa statistics. Results. A total of 40 RCTs were included. Based on the CONSORT statement, items “Background,” “Randomised” in the title or abstract,” “Statistical methods,” and “Outcomes and estimation” were good reporting, with positive rates >80%. However, the quality of reporting in items “Sample size,” “Allocation concealment,” “Implementation,” “Blinding,” “Flow chart,” “Intent-to-treat analysis,” “Ancillary analyses,” and “Clinical Trials Register” was very poor, with positive rates <10%. Based on the STRICTA guidelines, good reporting existed in items “Acupuncture rational,” “Points used,” “Needle stimulation,” “Needle retention time,” “Course of treatment,” “Control intervention,” and “Treatment frequency,” with positive ratings >80%. The reporting quality of items “Numbers of needles inserted,” “Depth of insertion,” “Responses elicited,” and “Practitioner background” was lower, with positive rates <50%. The agreement of most items was judged as moderate, substantial, or good.Conclusion. The reporting quality of RCTs in acupuncture for acute HZ is generally inadequate. It is necessary that researchers and journal editors learn and raise the adoption of the CONSORT statement and STRICTA guidelines to enhance the reporting quality of the RCTs in acupuncture.

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