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DeVito NJ, Morley J, Smith JA, Drysdale H, Goldacre B, Heneghan C. Availability of results of clinical trials registered on EU Clinical Trials Register: cross sectional audit study. BMJ MEDICINE 2024; 3:e000738. [PMID: 38274035 PMCID: PMC10806997 DOI: 10.1136/bmjmed-2023-000738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Objective To identify the availability of results for trials registered on the European Union Clinical Trials Register (EUCTR) compared with other dissemination routes to understand its value as a results repository. Design Cross sectional audit study. Setting EUCTR protocols and results sections, data extracted 1-3 December 2020. Population Random sample of 500 trials registered on EUCTR with a completion date of more than two years from the beginning of searches (ie, 1 December 2018). Main outcome measures Proportion of trials with results across the examined dissemination routes (EUCTR, ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN registry, and journal publications), and for each dissemination route individually. Prespecified secondary outcomes were number and proportion of unique results, and the timing of results, for each dissemination route. Results In the sample of 500 trials, availability of results on EUCTR (53.2%, 95% confidence interval 48.8% to 57.6%) was similar to the peer reviewed literature (58.6%, 54.3% to 62.9%) and exceeded the proportion of results available on other registries with matched records. Among the 383 trials with any results, 55 (14.4%, 10.9% to 17.9%) were only available on EUCTR. Also, after the launch of the EUCTR results database, median time to results was fastest on EUCTR (1142 days, 95% confidence interval 812 to 1492), comparable with journal publications (1226 days, 1074 to 1551), and exceeding ClinicalTrials.gov (3321 days, 1653 to undefined). For 117 trials (23.4%, 19.7% to 27.1%), however, results were published elsewhere but not submitted to the EUCTR registry, and no results were located in any dissemination route for 117 trials (23.4%, 19.7% to 27.1). Conclusions EUCTR should be considered in results searches for systematic reviews and can help researchers and the public to access the results of clinical trials, unavailable elsewhere, in a timely way. Reporting requirements, such as the EU's, can help in avoiding research waste by ensuring results are reported. The registry's true value, however, is unrealised because of inadequate compliance with EU guidelines, and problems with data quality that complicate the routine use of the registry. As the EU transitions to a new registry, continuing to emphasise the importance of EUCTR and the provision of timely and complete data is critical. For the future, EUCTR will still hold important information from the past two decades of clinical research in Europe. With increased efforts from sponsors and regulators, the registry can continue to grow as a source of results of clinical trials, many of which might be unavailable from other dissemination routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J DeVito
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jessica Morley
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - James Andrew Smith
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division, Oxford, UK
| | - Henry Drysdale
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ben Goldacre
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Carl Heneghan
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Hughes GK, Garrett EP, Staggs JD, Reddy AK, Wiebe JE, Vassar M. Trial Registry Searches In Plastic Surgery Systematic Reviews: A Meta-epidemiological Study. J Surg Res 2023; 288:21-27. [PMID: 36948029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Clinical trial registry searches for unpublished clinical trial data are a means of mitigating publication bias within systematic reviews (SRs). The purpose of our study is to look at the rate of clinical trial registry searches conducted by SRs in the top five Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journals. METHODS We identified the top five plastic and reconstructive surgery journals using the Google h-5 index. We then searched Pubmed for SRs published in these journals and compared them to plastic surgery SRs published in the Cochrane Collaboration for SRs over the last 5 y. We included all SRs that were published within these top five journals and Cochrane between December 6, 2016 and December 6, 2021. We then conducted a secondary analysis on clinicaltrials.gov looking for unpublished clinical trials for 100 randomized SRs that did not conduct a clinical trial registry search. RESULTS In SRs, 3.3% (17/512) from plastic surgery journals conducted trial registry searches. In comparison, 95.0% (38/40) of Cochrane Collaboration SRs conducted trial registry searches. Our secondary analysis found that 50% (50/100) of SRs could have included at least one unpublished clinical trial data set. CONCLUSIONS We found that plastic surgery SRs rarely include searches for unpublished clinical trial data in clinical trial registries. To improve the data completeness of SRs in plastic surgery journals, we recommend journals alter their author guidelines to require a clinical trial registry search for unpublished literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffin K Hughes
- Office of Medical Student Research, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
| | - Elizabeth P Garrett
- Office of Medical Student Research, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Jordan D Staggs
- Office of Medical Student Research, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Arjun K Reddy
- Office of Medical Student Research, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Jordan E Wiebe
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Matt Vassar
- Office of Medical Student Research, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Johnson AL, Anderson JM, Bouvette M, Pinero I, Rauh S, Johnson B, Kee M, Heigle B, Tricco AC, Page MJ, McCall Wright P, Vassar M. Clinical trial data-sharing policies among journals, funding agencies, foundations, and other professional organizations: a scoping review. J Clin Epidemiol 2023; 154:42-55. [PMID: 36375641 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To identify the similarities and differences in data-sharing policies for clinical trial data that are endorsed by biomedical journals, funding agencies, and other professional organizations. Additionally, to determine the beliefs, and opinions regarding data-sharing policies for clinical trials discussed in articles published in biomedical journals. METHODS Two searches were conducted, a bibliographic search for published articles that present beliefs, opinions, similarities, and differences regarding policies governing the sharing of clinical trial data. The second search analyzed the gray literature (non-peer-reviewed publications) to identify important data-sharing policies in selected biomedical journals, foundations, funding agencies, and other professional organizations. RESULTS A total of 471 articles were included after database search and screening, with 45 from the bibliographic search and 426 from the gray literature search. A total of 424 data-sharing policies were included. Fourteen of the 45 published articles from the bibliographic search (31.1%) discussed only advantages specific to data-sharing policies, 27 (27/45; 60%) discussed both advantages and disadvantages, and 4 (4/45; 8.9%) discussed only disadvantages specific. A total of 216 journals (of 270; 80%) specified a data-sharing policy provided by the journal itself. One hundred industry data-sharing policies were included, and 32 (32%) referenced a data-sharing policy on their website. One hundred and thirty-six (42%) organizations (of 327) specified a data-sharing policy. CONCLUSION We found many similarities listed as advantages to data-sharing and fewer disadvantages were discussed within the literature. Additionally, we found a wide variety of commonalities and differences-such as the lack of standardization between policies, and inadequately addressed details regarding the accessibility of research data-that exist in data-sharing policies endorsed by biomedical journals, funding agencies, and other professional organizations. Our study may not include information on all data sharing policies and our data is limited to the entities' descriptions of each policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin L Johnson
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA; The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | | | | | - Israel Pinero
- The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Shelby Rauh
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Bradley Johnson
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Micah Kee
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Benjamin Heigle
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Andrea C Tricco
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Institute for Health, Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Queen's Collaboration for Health Care Quality, Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew J Page
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Matt Vassar
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
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Alqaidoom Z, Nguyen PY, Awadh M, Page MJ. Impact of searching clinical trials registers in systematic reviews of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions: Reanalysis of meta-analyses. Res Synth Methods 2023; 14:52-67. [PMID: 35796034 PMCID: PMC10087877 DOI: 10.1002/jrsm.1583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Systematic reviewers are advised to search trials registers to minimise risk of reporting biases. However, there has been little research on the impact of searching trials registers on the results of meta-analyses. We aimed to evaluate the impact of searching clinical trials registers for systematic reviews of pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical interventions. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index, and Education Collection for systematic reviews with meta-analyses indexed from 2 November to 2 December 2020. A random sample of systematic reviews was initially drawn, and for reviews which considered randomised trials eligible for inclusion, which had not searched a trials register, we searched ClinicalTrials.gov, EudraCT, ANZCTR, and the WHO ICTRP search portal for eligible trials. We compared meta-analytic effect estimates before and after including results from additional trials identified. We found additional trials for 63% (63/101) of eligible reviews; however, trials with results that could contribute to a meta-analysis were identified for only 20% (20/101) of the reviews. On average, there was no difference in the meta-analytic effect estimates before versus after adding the new trials. In summary, searching clinical trial registers led to identification of additional trials for many reviews; however, very few trials had results available for inclusion in meta-analyses. Including results from the new trials led to no change in the meta-analytic estimates, on average. Trials registers would be even more valuable to systematic reviewers if more trialists made use of them (i.e., registered their trials and posted results in a timely manner).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Alqaidoom
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Phi-Yen Nguyen
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Maryam Awadh
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Matthew J Page
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Schmidt AP, Carmona MJC. Registration of clinical trials in anesthesiology: promoting transparency in clinical research. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF ANESTHESIOLOGY (ELSEVIER) 2022; 72:685-687. [PMID: 36167159 PMCID: PMC9659993 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjane.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- André P Schmidt
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Serviço de Anestesia e Medicina Perioperatória, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS), Departamento de Bioquímica, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Serviço de Anestesia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Serviço de Anestesia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Faculdade de Medicina, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Pneumológicas, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Faculdade de Medicina (FM), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anestesiologia, Ciências Cirúrgicas e Medicina Perioperatória, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Maria José C Carmona
- Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Faculdade de Medicina (FM), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anestesiologia, Ciências Cirúrgicas e Medicina Perioperatória, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Bertolino B, Kinder N, Cooper C, Gray H, Arthur W, Ahlander J, Simpson A, Vassar M. Financial conflicts of interest during meetings of the cardiovascular and renal drugs advisory committee. J Osteopath Med 2022; 122:445-451. [PMID: 35447023 DOI: 10.1515/jom-2021-0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT The Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee (CRDAC) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews safety and efficacy data for cardiovascular and renal drugs, ultimately making recommendations to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs for approval. The Open Public Hearing segment of these meetings allows for patients, advocates, healthcare professionals, clinical trialists, and members of the public to provide testimony, which often results in expressing their preference for, or against, drug approval. Prior to providing testimony, the public speakers are highly encouraged to disclose any financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) with the sponsor or other groups. Given the potential influence of these speakers on drug approval recommendations, we investigated the industry associations disclosed by public speakers in the Open Public Hearing section of the CRDAC meetings. Previous studies, such as one done by Lurie et al. indicated that positive testimony is tied to a higher likelihood of drug approval, and because drug companies provide financial compensation for speakers to provide testimony in general, we wanted to determine the likelihood with which speakers who have an FCOI provided a positive testimony vs. those without any FCOI. OBJECTIVES The purpose is to evaluate whether public speakers with an FCOI are more likely to provide positive testimony regarding the drug in question during the CRDAC of the FDA between February 2009 and December 2019 through the use of publicly available transcripts. METHODS Independent researchers investigated public transcripts and minutes of the CRDAC meetings with public speakers (n=20). We identified all speakers, along with characteristics such as an FCOI, and classified statements utilizing a pilot-tested Google form. The data collected were analyzed utilizing Stata. The speaker's testimony was then compared with their FCOI. An ordered logistic regression was performed utilizing the speaker's testimony regarding the drug as the dependent variable. RESULTS Of the 88 speakers represented in our sample, 35 (35/88, 39.8%) disclosed an FCOI, most commonly regarding travel cost. Among speakers with an FCOI, 30 (30/35, 85.7%) spoke positively. Speakers with an FCOI were 4.96 times more likely to provide positive testimony (OR=4.96, 95% CI 1.67-14.78). Speakers with the disease were also more likely to provide positive testimony (OR=13.05, 95% CI 2.84-59.93). CONCLUSIONS Public speakers often play a role during meetings, and they may also have an FCOI, most commonly related to travel expenses. Our study shows that speakers with an FCOI are more likely to provide positive testimony. Stipulations, such as requiring disclosure of FCOI and randomizing the selection process of speakers, can help ensure the integrity of the drug approval process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Bertolino
- Department of Research, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Nicholas Kinder
- Department of Research, Kansas City University College Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Craig Cooper
- Department of Research, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Harrison Gray
- Department of Research, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Wade Arthur
- Department of Research, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Joseph Ahlander
- Department of Research, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Alainna Simpson
- Department of Research, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Matt Vassar
- Department of Research, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
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Reddy AK, Anderson JM, Gray HM, Fishbeck K, Vassar M. Clinical Trial Registry Use in Orthopaedic Surgery Systematic Reviews. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2021; 103:e41. [PMID: 33983151 DOI: 10.2106/jbjs.20.01743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Results from systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which have the highest level of evidence (Level I), often drive clinical decision-making and health policy. Often, unpublished trial data are omitted from systematic reviews, raising concerns about the extent of the reliability and validity of results that have been drawn from systematic reviews. We aimed to determine the extent to which systematic review authors include searches of clinical trial registries for unpublished data when conducting systematic reviews in orthopaedic surgery. METHODS Systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses were gathered from the top 5 orthopaedic surgery journals based on the h5-index from Google Scholar Metrics. Systematic reviews that had been published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, which requires the inclusion of a clinical trial registry search, served as controls. For the primary outcome, each systematic review from the top 5 orthopaedic journals was screened to determine whether the authors of each study searched for unpublished data in clinical trial registries. We then compared the rate of registry searches with those in the control group. For the secondary analysis, a search of ClinicalTrials.gov was performed for unpublished trial data for 100 randomized systematic reviews. RESULTS All 38 of the Cochrane systematic reviews (100%) included clinical trial registry searches, while the top 5 orthopaedic journals had only 31 of 480 studies (6.5%) that looked at clinical trial registries. The secondary analysis yielded 59 of 100 systematic review articles (59.0%) that could have included unpublished clinical trial data from ≥1 studies to their sample. CONCLUSIONS Systematic reviews that have been published in the top orthopaedic surgery journals seldom included a search for unpublished clinical trial data. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The exclusion of clinical trial registry searches potentially contributes to publication bias within the orthopaedic literature. Moving forward, systematic review authors should include clinical trial registry searches for unpublished clinical trial data to provide the most accurate representation of the available evidence for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun K Reddy
- Office of Medical Student Research (A.K.R., J.M.A., H.M.G., and M.V.) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (M.V.), Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - J Michael Anderson
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Oklahoma State University Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Harrison M Gray
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Oklahoma State University Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Keith Fishbeck
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Oklahoma State University Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Matt Vassar
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Oklahoma State University Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Fujii S, Bainbridge D. Appropriate Clinical Trial Registration Is the Key to Transparent Reporting and Publication. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2021; 35:1578-1580. [PMID: 33485758 DOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Fujii
- Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Bainbridge
- Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Greiner B, Corcoran A, Wheeler D. Clinical trial registry searches are under-utilized in systematic reviews from critical care journals: A bibliometric analysis. J Crit Care 2020; 63:175-178. [PMID: 33012585 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2020.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Publication bias has a significant impact on the results of systematic reviews. Clinical trial registry searches, which include unpublished research, should be conducted when performing systematic reviews to reduce publication bias. We aimed to analyze the use of clinical trial registry searches in critical care systematic reviews. METHODS Systematic reviews published between 01/01/2010-02/18/2020 from the top 5 critical care journals were extracted from PubMed and screened for trial registry use. Additionally, of the studies not performing registry searches, we assessed ClinicalTrials.gov for potentially relevant trials that were missed by not performing a registry search. RESULTS Three hundred and twenty six systematic reviews were analyzed, of which 37 (11.3%) performed trial registry searches. Of the studies not performing clinical trial registry searches, 56% had at least 1 potentially relevant trial that was missed. CONCLUSIONS The omission of relevant, unpublished clinical trial results may be negatively impacting the accuracy of critical care systematic reviews. We recommend all systematic reviewers conduct clinical trial registry searches to reduce publication bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Greiner
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Internal Medicine, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - Adam Corcoran
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Denna Wheeler
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
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Fuller K, Bowers A, Vassar M. Clinical trial registry use in minimally invasive surgical oncology systematic reviews and meta-analyses. BMJ Evid Based Med 2020; 25:1-2. [PMID: 31427352 DOI: 10.1136/bmjebm-2019-111207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Publication bias can arise in systematic reviews when unpublished data are omitted and lead to inaccurate clinical decision making and adverse clinical outcomes. By conducting searches of clinical trial registries (CTRs), researchers can create more accurate systematic reviews and mitigate the risk of publication bias. The aims of this study are: to evaluate CTR use in systematic reviews and meta-analyses within the minimally invasive surgical oncology (MISO) literature; to conduct a search of ClinicalTrials.gov for a subset of reviews to determine if eligible trials exist that could have been used. This is a cross-sectional study of 197 systematic reviews and meta-analyses retrieved from PubMed. Of 137 included studies, 18 (13.1%) reported searching a CTR. Our ClinicalTrials.gov search revealed that of the 25 randomly selected systematic reviews that failed to conduct a trial registry search, 16 (64.0%) would have identified additional data sources. MISO systematic reviews and meta-analyses do not regularly use CTRs in their data collection, despite eligible trials being freely available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaleb Fuller
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Aaron Bowers
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Matt Vassar
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
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Gray HM, Simpson A, Bowers A, Johnson AL, Vassar M. Trial Registry Use in Surgery Systematic Reviews: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Surg Res 2020; 247:323-331. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Biocic M, Fidahic M, Cikes K, Puljak L. Comparison of information sources used in Cochrane and non‐Cochrane systematic reviews: A case study in the field of anesthesiology and pain. Res Synth Methods 2019; 10:597-605. [DOI: 10.1002/jrsm.1375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Biocic
- Emergency Department MucInstitute of Emergency Medicine in Split‐Dalmatia County Split Croatia
| | - Mahir Fidahic
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Tuzla Tuzla Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Karla Cikes
- Center for Evidence‐Based Medicine and Health CareCatholic University of Croatia Zagreb Croatia
| | - Livia Puljak
- Center for Evidence‐Based Medicine and Health CareCatholic University of Croatia Zagreb Croatia
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A cross-sectional audit showed that most Cochrane intervention reviews searched trial registers. J Clin Epidemiol 2019; 113:86-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Aro T, Koo K, Matlaga BR. Infrequent use of clinical trials registries in published systematic reviews in urology. World J Urol 2019; 38:1335-1340. [PMID: 31444605 DOI: 10.1007/s00345-019-02914-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Validity of systematic reviews may be affected by non-publication of statistically non-significant or unfavorable clinical trial results. One function of clinical trial registries is to make these non-published studies available and thereby reduce potential publication bias. We aim to assess the use of clinical trial registries in published systematic reviews in urology. METHODS We identified all systematic reviews published in the five highest-impact general urology journals that publish original research between January 1 and December 31, 2017. Full-text analysis was performed to determine if protocols included searching clinical trial registries meeting WHO Registry Network criteria. RESULTS Of a total of 204 search results, 92 were included in the analysis as systematic reviews. The majority searched the MEDLINE (91, 98%), EMBASE (69, 75%), and Cochrane (49, 53%) databases. Based on published methods, only 16 (17%) systematic reviews searched any clinical trial registries: 14 (15%) ClinicalTrials.gov, 6 (6%) WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and 2 (2%) ISRCTN registry. Rates of searching clinical trial registries were low regardless of the journal: 8 of 34 (24%) in European Urology; 2 of 10 (20%) in BJU International; 3 of 17 (18%) in Urology; 2 of 18 (11%) in The Journal of Urology; and 1 of 13 (8%) in World Journal of Urology. CONCLUSION The majority of recently published systematic reviews in urology do not routinely search clinical trial registries. Inclusion of these registries can help identify unpublished trial data, which may improve the quality of systematic reviews by reducing publication bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tareq Aro
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
- Robotics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
| | - Kevin Koo
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Brian R Matlaga
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
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