Observational studyBMJ open2017
Time to publication for publicly funded clinical trials in Australia: an observational study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Time to publication for results of clinical trials.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Methodological Challenges in Randomized Controlled Trials on Smartphone-Based Treatment in Psychiatry: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2019Pooled it
- Publication of Results of Registered Trials With Published Study Protocols, 2011-2022.JAMA network open · 2024Article
- Article
- Analysis of Rates of Completion, Delays, and Participant Recruitment in Randomized Clinical Trials in Surgery.JAMA network open · 2023Article
- Publication bias in trials registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: Is it a problem? A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2023Article
- Using the concept of "deserved trust" to strengthen the value and integrity of biomedical research.Accountability in research · 2021Article
- The Natural History of a Musculoskeletal Clinical Researcher.Journal of the Belgian Society of Radiology · 2021Article
- Article
- Article
- A multi-state model analysis of the time from ethical approval to publication of clinical research studies.PloS one · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo examine the length of time between receiving funding and publishing the protocol and main paper for randomised controlled trials.
designAn observational study using survival analysis.
settingPublicly funded health and medical research in Australia.
participantsRandomised controlled trials funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia between 2008 and 2010.
main outcome measuresTime from funding to the protocol paper and main results paper. Multiple variable survival models examining whether study characteristics predicted publication times.
resultsWe found 77 studies with a total funding of $A59 million. The median time to publication of the protocol paper was 6.4 years after funding (95% CI 4.1 to 8.1). The proportion with a published protocol paper 8 years after funding was 0.61 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.74). The median time to publication of the main results paper was 7.1 years after funding (95% CI 6.3 to 7.6). The proportion with a published main results paper 8 years after funding was 0.72 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.87). The HRs for how study characteristics might influence timing were generally close to one with narrow CIs, the notable exception was that a longer study length lengthened the time to the main paper (HR=0.62 per extra study year, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.89).
conclusionsDespite the widespread registration of clinical trials, there remain serious concerns of trial results not being published or being published with a long delay. We have found that these same concerns apply to protocol papers, which should be publishable soon after funding. Funding agencies could set a target of publishing the protocol paper within 18 months of funding.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.