Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36670375›Full record

SynthesisBMC medical research methodology2023

A cross-sectional study of the endorsement proportion of reporting guidelines in 1039 Chinese medical journals.

Yuting Duan, Lingyun Zhao, Yanfang Ma, Jingyuan Luo, Juexuan Chen, Jiangxia Miao, Xuan Zhang, David Moher, Zhaoxiang Bian

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medical research methodology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. 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

9 authors.

Yuting Duan *Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Center, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Lingyun Zhao *Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Center, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yanfang Ma *Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Center, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Jingyuan LuoHong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Center, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Juexuan ChenPediatric TCM Clinic, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, China.
Jiangxia MiaoSchool of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Xuan ZhangHong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Center, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
David MoherCanadian EQUATOR Centre, The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, Centre for Practice Changing Research Building, 501 Smyth Road, PO BOX 201B, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada. davidmoher@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0003-2434-4206
Zhaoxiang BianHong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Center, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China. bianzxiang@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0001-6206-1958

Funding

Key Technologies Research and Development Program 2019YFC1710400Key Technologies Research and Development Program 2019YFC1710403
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundReporting quality is a critical issue in health sciences. Adopting the reporting guidelines has been approved to be an effective way of enhancing the reporting quality and transparency of clinical research. In 2012, we found that only 7 (7/1221, 0.6%) journals adopted the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement in China. The aim of the study was to know the implementation status of CONSORT and other reporting guidelines about clinical studies in China.

methodsA cross-sectional bibliometric study was conducted. Eight medical databases were systematically searched, and 1039 medical journals published in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan were included. The basic characteristics, including subject, language, publication place, journal-indexed databases, and journal impact factors were extracted. The endorsement of reporting guidelines was assessed by a modified 5-level evaluation tool, namely i) positive active, ii) positive weak, iii) passive moderate, iv) passive weak and v) none.

resultsAmong included journals, 24.1% endorsed CONSORT, and 0.8% endorsed CONSORT extensions. For STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology), PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), STARD (An Updated List of Essential Items for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy Studies), CARE (CAse REport guidelines), the endorsement proportion were 17.2, 16.6, 16.4, and 14.8% respectively. The endorsement proportion for SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials), TRIPOD (Transparent Reporting of a Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis), AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines, Research, and Evaluation), and RIGHT (Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare) were below 0.7%.

conclusionsOur results showed that the implementation of reporting guidelines was low. We suggest the following initiatives including i) enhancing the level of journal endorsement for reporting guidelines; ii) strengthening the collaboration among authors, reviewers, editors, and other stakeholders; iii) providing training courses for stakeholders; iv) establishing bases for reporting guidelines network in China; v) adopting the endorsement of reporting guidelines in the policies of the China Periodicals Association (CPA); vi) promoting Chinese medical journals into the international evaluation system and publish in English.

Indexed as

Periodicals as TopicChinaCross-Sectional StudiesObservational Studies as TopicReference StandardsClinical studyCONSORTReporting guidelineReporting qualityTransparency

Identifiers

PMID36670375
PMCPMC9862842

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.