Ozdag Y, Hayes DS, Callahan C, El Koussaify J, Warnick EP, Foster BK, Klena JC, Grandizio LC. Adherence to Complication Reporting for Randomized Controlled Trials Contained in Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
JOURNAL OF HAND SURGERY GLOBAL ONLINE 2023;
5:779-783. [PMID:
38106925 PMCID:
PMC10721492 DOI:
10.1016/j.jhsg.2023.06.004]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are frequently used in creating recommendations contained within clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). However, investigations outside of hand surgery have reported that RCTs within CPGs infrequently report complications and harms-related data. Our purpose was to assess adherence to complication reporting and harms-related outcomes contained in the Consolidated Standards for Reporting (CONSORT) Extension of Harms and Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD) reporting checklists for RCTs within the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery (AAOS) CPGs for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
Methods
We identified all RCTs within the AAOS CTS CPGs. All therapeutic RCTs and diagnostic studies were included. We used the CONSORT Harms Checklist criteria to assess adherence to the reporting of adverse events for therapeutic RCTs and the STARD criteria to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the articles. We defined adequate compliance as adherence to ≥50% of the checklist items.
Results
We identified 82 therapeutic RCTs and 90 diagnostic accuracy articles within the AAOS CTS CPG. For therapeutic RCTs, we found that the average compliance with the published checklists was 19%. For diagnostic studies, the average compliance with checklists was found to be 55%. Eleven therapeutic RCTs (13%) and 60 diagnostic studies (67%) were determined to have adequate compliance for the CONSORT and STARD checklists, respectively.
Conclusions
Randomized controlled trials in the AAOS CPGs for CTS have low compliance with the CONSORT Extension for Harms Checklist. Although the overall adherence to the items published in the STARD statement for diagnostic accuracy evaluation remains higher, future efforts should be made to improve the adherence rates to both checklists.
Clinical relevance
Improved standardization of complication reporting may aid in comparing outcomes across multiple clinical investigations of upper-extremity procedures.
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