Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30826769›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2019

Protocol for developing quality assurance measures to use in surgical trials: an example from the ROMIO study.

Natalie S Blencowe, Anni Skilton, Daisy Gaunt, Rachel Brierley, Andrew Hollowood, Simon Dwerryhouse, Simon Higgs, William Robb, Alex Boddy, George Hanna and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
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  9. Development of a reliable surgical quality assurance tool for gastrectomy in oncological trials.Gastric cancer : official journal of the International Gastric Cancer Association and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association · 2024
    Article
  10. Protocol for a Prospective Observational Study of Revision Palatoplasty Versus Pharyngoplasty for Treatment of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Following Cleft Palate Repair.The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal : official publication of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association · 2024
    Article
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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

13 authors.

Natalie S BlencoweCentre for Surgical Research, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6111-2175
Anni SkiltonMedical Illustration, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
Daisy GauntBristol Randomised Trials Collaboration & School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Rachel BrierleyClinical Trials and Evaluation Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Andrew HollowoodDivision of Surgery, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
Simon DwerryhouseDepartment of Upper GI Surgery, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK.
Simon HiggsDepartment of Upper GI Surgery, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK.
William RobbDepartment of Upper GI Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Alex BoddyDepartment of Upper GI Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK.
George HannaFaculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College, London, UK.
C Paul BarhamDivision of Surgery, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
Jane BlazebyCentre for Surgical Research, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
ROMIO Study team

Funding

Cancer Research UK 23924Department of Health HTA/14/140/78Medical Research Council MR/K025643/1Medical Research Council MR/S001751/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) in surgery are frequently criticised because surgeon expertise and standards of surgery are not considered or accounted for during study design. This is particularly true in pragmatic trials (which typically involve multiple centres and surgeons and are based in 'real world' settings), compared with explanatory trials (which are smaller and more tightly controlled).

objectiveThis protocol describes a process to develop and test quality assurance (QA) measures for use within a predominantly pragmatic surgical RCT comparing minimally invasive and open techniques for oesophageal cancer (the NIHR ROMIO study). It builds on methods initiated in the ROMIO pilot RCT. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We have identified three distinct types of QA measure: (i) entry criteria for surgeons, through assessment of operative videos, (ii) standardisation of operative techniques (by establishing minimum key procedural phases) and (iii) monitoring of surgeons during the trial, using intraoperative photography to document key procedural phases and standardising the pathological assessment of specimens. The QA measures will be adapted from the pilot study and tested iteratively, and the video and photo assessment tools will be tested for reliability and validity. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained (NRES Committee South West-Frenchay, 25 April 2016, ref: 16/SW/0098). Results of the QA development study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN59036820, ISRCTN10386621.

Indexed as

Quality Assurance, Health CareEsophageal NeoplasmsGeneral SurgeryHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topicquality assurancerandomised controlled trialsurgery

Identifiers

PMID30826769
PMCPMC6429900

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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.