Evidence map›Paper›PMID 17899115›Full record

ArticleDer Ophthalmologe : Zeitschrift der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft2008

[Randomized controlled and controlled clinical trials in German-language ophthalmological journals].

C Schmucker, A Blümle, G Antes, W Lagrèze

Abstract readComparative StudyEvaluation Study
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In one paragraph

Article in Der Ophthalmologe : Zeitschrift der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. The languages of medicine.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2008
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

C SchmuckerUniversitäts-Augenklinik Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland. schmucker@cochrane.de
A Blümle
G Antes
W Lagrèze

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe medical database MEDLINE contains only a part of all published randomized controlled (RCTs) and controlled clinical (CCTs) trials. The validity of a systematic review depends on the complete consideration of all studies pertaining to a clinical question. Therefore, a manual systematic search in medical journals is mandatory.

methodsThe last 30 years of the three peer-reviewed German-language ophthalmological journals Der Ophthalmologe, Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde, and Spektrum der Augenheilkunde were retrospectively searched for controlled trials. All identified RCTs and CCTs were classified according to their ophthalmological subspecialty. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the CONSORT Statement. Moreover, a comparison was made of how many of the studies identified by hand searching are registered in MEDLINE and correctly classified as RCTs/CCTs.

resultsIn total 984 RCTs and CCTs were identified; 62% of the trials were from the subspecialty anterior eye segment, 14% belonged to the subspecialty posterior eye segment, and 18% belonged to glaucoma. A sample size calculation was reported in less than 2% of the full-text publications and 34% reported a blinded study design. A randomization process was described in 23% of the RCTs. Most controlled trials were published in the 1990s in all three journals. From 1998 onward, there was a decrease in the number of published controlled trials in the reviewed German literature. About 63% of the studies registered in MEDLINE are correctly classified.

conclusionIn the specialty of ophthalmology there are many important studies which provide basic information for compilation of systematic reviews and clinical guidelines. However, many of the identified clinical trials in German-language journals show deficiencies in the study quality. Only a part of the identified controlled trials are correctly classified in MEDLINE. Therefore, a retrospective registration is essential to complete the electronic database in ophthalmology.

Indexed as

Biomedical ResearchControlled Clinical Trials as TopicOphthalmologyPeriodicals as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicDatabases as TopicGermanyHumansMEDLINETime Factors

Identifiers

PMID17899115

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.