Quality of randomized controlled trials reporting in the treatment of melasma conducted in China

Global research trends on melasma: a bibliometric and visualized study from 2014 to 2023

Melasma, a prevalent pigmentary disorder, is characterized by its complex etiology, propensity for recurrence, and resistance to treatment. However, there is currently no research on melasma through bibliometrics and visualisation. This study analyses the hotspots and trends in the field based on 2,709 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC). We carried out bibliometric analyses using Citespace software for different countries/regions, institutions, authors, and keywords. References were also analysed using VoSviewer. The results indicate that overall, there has been an increase in publications related to melasma since 2014. According to the analysis of the collaborative network diagram, the United States, Egyptian Knowledge Bank, and Benjakul Soottawat are the most contributing countries, institutions, and authors, respectively. Reference and keyword analyses have identified the pathogenesis and treatment of melasma as a prevalent topic in recent years. And how to find new treatment options and more effective therapeutic drugs is a future research trend. This is the first bibliometric and visual analysis of melasma-related literature to explore research hotspots and trends.

Trends and predictors of biomedical research quality, 1990-2015: a meta-research study

OBJECTIVE

To measure the frequency of adequate methods, inadequate methods and poor reporting in published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and test potential factors associated with adequacy of methods and reporting.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of RCTs included in Cochrane reviews. Time series describes the proportion of RCTs using adequate methods, inadequate methods and poor reporting. A multinomial logit model tests potential factors associated with methods and reporting, including funding source, first author affiliation, clinical trial registration status, study novelty, team characteristics, technology and geography.

DATA

Risk of bias assessments for random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of participants and personnel, blinding of outcome assessment, incomplete outcome data and selective reporting, for each RCT, were mapped to bibliometric and funding data.

OUTCOMES

Risk of bias on six methodological dimensions and RCT-level overall assessment of adequate methods, inadequate methods or poor reporting.

RESULTS

This study analysed 20 571 RCTs. 5.7% of RCTs used adequate methods (N=1173). 59.3% used inadequate methods (N=12 190) and 35.0% were poorly reported (N=7208). The proportion of poorly reported RCTs decreased from 42.5% in 1990 to 30.2% in 2015. The proportion of RCTs using adequate methods increased from 2.6% in 1990 to 10.3% in 2015. The proportion of RCTs using inadequate methods increased from 54.9% in 1990 to 59.5% in 2015. Industry funding, top pharmaceutical company affiliation, trial registration, larger authorship teams, international teams and drug trials were associated with a greater likelihood of using adequate methods. National Institutes of Health funding and university prestige were not.

CONCLUSION

Even though reporting has improved since 1990, the proportion of RCTs using inadequate methods is high (59.3%) and increasing, potentially slowing progress and contributing to the reproducibility crisis. Stronger incentives for the use of adequate methods are needed.

Comparison of the Quality of Pediatric Randomized Controlled Trials Published in Both Nursing and Medical Journals: Adherence to the CONSORT Statement

BACKGROUND

Nursing care should be based on scientific evidence. However, studies must be performed rigorously with accurate reporting for their findings to be applicable to practice. Since the body of scientific nursing literature is broad, the quality and validity of its findings should be regularly controlled and verified to ensure their application and their practical impact.

PURPOSE

To compare reporting quality of pediatric randomized controlled trial (RCT) articles in nursing and medical journals.

METHODS

Randomly selected articles were reviewed and scored to assess the number of CONSORT items that were adequately reported, generating a CONSORT score. The CONSORT scores for 28 items were compared between the two journal types.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The CONSORT scores by journal type were not significantly different: (19.2 [16.2; 22] for medical journals and 19.5 [16.1; 21.5] for nursing journals, p = .77). The reporting of CONSORT items was poor for both journal types. However, there were two significant differences: item 19 (Declaration of all important harm or unintended effects, p = .0006) and item 23 (Registration number of the study, p = .0003), were reported more often in medical journals. The adherence of journals to the CONSORT statement and large sample size was associated with better quality of the reporting of studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on reporting quality, nursing studies have the same scientific credibility and rigor as medical studies in the pediatric field.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

The findings of this study could help researchers improve the reporting of their studies and highlight the importance of reporting quality for future knowledge transfer and practical use. The quality of research and its reporting is necessary to improve knowledge transfer into practice.

Assessing the quality of reports about randomized controlled trials of scalp acupuncture combined with another treatment for stroke

BACKGROUND

This study was designed to assess the quality of reporting on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of scalp acupuncture for the treatment of stroke.

METHODS

The following 8 databases were systematically investigated from their inception to December 2015: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, National Institute of Informatics Scholarly and Academic Information Navigator, National Digital Science Library, Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal, and Korean Studies Information Service System. RCTs utilizing scalp acupuncture as an intervention for stroke were selected, and the quality of reports was assessed based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials 2010 statement (CONSORT) and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture 2010 (STRICTA). For each study, the overall quality score (OQS) of 13 CONSORT items, a combined key methodological index score (MIS) of 5 CONSORT items, and the OQS of 17 STRICTA items were measured.

RESULTS

The original reports of 63 RCTs were ultimately obtained, and the median CONSORT OQS was 7 (minimum 2, maximum 11). Particularly, the items 'trial design', 'sample size', 'ancillary analyses', and 'harms' had a positive rate of less than 10%. The median MIS was 1 (minimum 0, maximum 5), with 'allocation concealment and implementation' and 'intent-to-treat analysis (ITT) analysis' having a positive rate of less than 10%. The median STRICTA OQS was 11 (minimum 6, maximum 14), and only the items 'sample size' and 'intent-to-treat analysis' were reported, with a positive rate of less than 10%. The mean CONSORT OQS increased by approximately 0.81 for each 5-year period in which manuscripts were published (95% confidence interval: 0.43 to 1.19; p < 0.001). No variable was significantly associated with MIS in the ordinal regression model.

CONCLUSION

The quality of reports on RCTs investigating scalp acupuncture treatment for stroke was moderate to low. Furthermore, reporting of some items was either insufficient or inadequate in the majority of studies. In order to improve and standardize the quality of RCTs investigating scalp acupuncture for stroke, CONSORT and STRICTA guidelines should be utilized more frequently.

Assessing the quality of reports about randomized controlled trials of scalp acupuncture treatment for vascular dementia

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of reports about randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of scalp acupuncture (SA) for the treatment of vascular dementia (VD).

METHOD

A systematic search of reports published through to December 2015 was performed in eight databases. The quality of RCTs that used SA as an intervention for VD was evaluated based on the 2010 Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) and 2010 Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines. Thirteen items from the CONSORT guideline were scored to give an overall quality score (OQS, range 0-13), and a combined key methodological index score (MIS) (range 0-5) of five key methodological items was measured. The OQS of 17 items from the STRICTA guideline (range 0-17) was also measured.

RESULTS

In total, 26 reports were evaluated. The median OQS based on the CONSORT guideline was 8 (minimum 5, maximum 11), and "trial design," "sample size," "ancillary analyses," and "harms" had a positive rate of less than 10%. The median MIS was 2 (minimum 0, maximum 5), with "allocation concealment and implementation," "blinding," and "intent-to-treat analysis" having a positive rate of less than 15%. The median OQS based on the STRICTA guideline was 12 (minimum 8, maximum 14), with "extent to which treatment was varied (1c)," "number of needle insertions per subject per session (2a)," and "setting and context of treatment (4b)" having a positive rate of less than 10%.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall quality of reports on RCTs of SA treatment for VD was moderate to low. The quality of methodological items was markedly lower than that of other items. The CONSORT and STRICTA guidelines should be used more frequently to standardize the quality of RCT reports of SA treatment for VD.