Study Finds Trial Reporting and Methodologic Quality Need Improvement

August 24, 2015—Shahin Hajibandeh, MBChB, et al published a study that sought to determine whether the methodologic and reporting quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in vascular and endovascular surgery is improving. The investigators concluded that the methodologic quality is similar to that of trials performed more than 10 years ago, and despite some progress, there remains room for improvement in quality reporting in RCTs. The study is available online ahead of print in the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (EJVES).

As summarized in EJVES, the study investigators identified the most recent 75 RCTs and oldest 75 RCTs published in leading journals during a 10-year period (2003–2012). They extracted and compared the reporting quality and methodologic quality data of the old and new RCTs. They used the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement to analyze the old RCTs and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) checklist to analyze the new RCTs.

The reporting quality, as measured by CONSORT, was better in the new studies as compared with the old studies (0.68 vs 0.6); however, both new and old studies had similar methodologic quality, as measured by SIGN, (0.9 vs .09). Unlike clinical items, the methodologic items of the CONSORT statement were not well reported in old and new RCTs. More trials in the new RCTs group were endovascular related (33.33% vs 17.33%) and industry sponsored (28% vs 6.67%), advised the investigators in EJVES.