Adherence of trials of operative intervention to the CONSORT statement extension for non-pharmacological treatments: a comparative before and after study

INTRODUCTION

Use of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement has been shown to improve the reporting of randomised controlled trials and it is endorsed by leading surgical journals. The CONSORT statement for non-pharmacological treatment (CONSORT-NPT) provides specific items to aid in the reporting of trials of operative intervention. This study compares the reporting practice of trials of operative intervention published in time periods before and after publication of the CONSORT-NPT statement.

METHODS

A 30-point checklist containing the salient CONSORT-NPT items was designed and the adherence of trials meeting the inclusion criteria determined independently by two authors.

RESULTS

There was a significant improvement of 3.95 points in the mean CONSORT-NPT score from 2004 to 2010 (95% confidence interval: 3.61-4.29, p<0.001). This related specifically to items present in the original CONSORT statement rather than to CONSORT-NPT items, which remained poorly reported in 2010. The mean CONSORT-NPT score was 17.5 (standard deviation [SD]: 4.5) for trials published in CONSORT endorsing journals compared with 15.6 (SD: 4.0) for those that did not mention endorsement of the CONSORT statement although this was not a significant difference (p=0.064).

CONCLUSIONS

Although there has been a significant improvement in the reporting of trials of operative intervention published in the surgical literature since 2004, items specific to the CONSORT-NPT extension remain underreported. Improved awareness of this important addition to the CONSORT statement throughout the surgical community and its endorsement by surgical journals will help to improve the reporting practice of trials of operative intervention.

Comparison of substance use milestones in cannabis- and cocaine-dependent patients

OBJECTIVES

To compare the progression of substance use milestones between cocaine- and cannabis-dependent patients.

METHODS

Using data gathered from two separate clinical studies for treatment of cocaine dependence and cannabis dependence, 130 cannabis-dependent and 112 cocaine-dependent individuals were compared on milestones related to their substance use.

RESULTS

In cannabis- vs. cocaine-dependent patients, the mean age of first use, regular use and first treatment contact differed significantly. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups for other measured milestones.

CONCLUSIONS

These results differ from most epidemiologic studies that suggest cocaine users progress more rapidly to regular use and treatment contact.

Comparison of clinical trial recruitment populations: treatment-seeking characteristics of opioid-, cocaine-, and cannabis-using participants

This study examined the treatment history and intention to seek treatment among 489 individuals interested in substance use disorder clinical trial participation. Opioid and cocaine users were more likely than cannabis users to report having received treatment for substance use in the past and more likely than cannabis users to report planning to seek treatment for substance use before exposure to recruitment advertising. Free cost was the aspect of clinical trial participation that most influenced the decision to make an intake evaluation appointment for opioid-dependent patients as compared with cocaine- and cannabis-dependent participants, and the availability of individual psychotherapy most influenced those who were cannabis dependent. Cannabis-dependent individuals evaluated for clinical trial participation reported that recruitment advertising was an important factor in leading them to seek treatment. These results have implications for clinical trial recruitment and public health efforts directed at encouraging cannabis-dependent individuals to seek treatment.