ArticleTrials2024
Statistical analyses of ordinal outcomes in randomised controlled trials: a scoping review.
Article in Trials, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Composite outcome measures in high-impact critical care randomised controlled trials: a systematic review.Critical care (London, England) · 2024Pooled it
- Optimizing endpoints in early phase clinical trials of acute respiratory distress syndrome.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2026Article
- Major Adverse Cognitive Events (MACE-Cog): A New "MACE" Framework for Cognitive Outcomes in Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke.Circulation · 2026Review
- Digital payments of health workers within vaccination campaigns: a mixed-methods study in Chad.BMJ global health · 2026Article
- All scores are not numbers: the Apgar score.Journal of anesthesia · 2026Article
- Proportional Odds or Win Probability as Methods for Assessing Ordinal Outcomes in Infectious Disease Clinical Trials.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2026Article
- A literature review and reflection on clinical trials: current challenges, future directions, and potential strategies to overcome practical barriers.AME clinical trials review · 2026Article
- Ordinal Clinical Outcome Modeling with Temporal Validation to Support Hospital Capacity Planning During Acute Infectious Disease Burden.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Statistical analysis of Likert-based ordinal scales: a guide for clinical trialists.BMC medical research methodology · 2026Article
- Applicability of Regression Models for the Analysis of Ordinal PANSS Data in Schizophrenia: A Cohort Study.Consortium psychiatricum · 2026Article
- Making Sense of Hierarchical Composite End Points in Randomized Clinical Trials-A Primer for Infectious Diseases Clinicians and Researchers.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2025Review
- Article
- Role of the Proportional Odds Assumption for the Analysis of Ordinal Outcomes in Neurologic Trials.Neurology · 2025Article
- Beyond Binary: The Potential of Ordinal Outcomes in Critical Care Trials.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2025Article
- Group Sequential Test for Two-Sample Ordinal Outcome Measures.Statistics in medicine · 2025Article
- Meta-analytical approaches to ordinal outcome data in clinical interventional studies: A scoping review with reproducible research.PloS one · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) aim to estimate the causal effect of one or more interventions relative to a control. One type of outcome that can be of interest in an RCT is an ordinal outcome, which is useful to answer clinical questions regarding complex and evolving patient states. The target parameter of interest for an ordinal outcome depends on the research question and the assumptions the analyst is willing to make. This review aimed to provide an overview of how ordinal outcomes have been used and analysed in RCTs.
methodsThe review included RCTs with an ordinal primary or secondary outcome published between 2017 and 2022 in four highly ranked medical journals (the British Medical Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and the Journal of the American Medical Association) identified through PubMed. Details regarding the study setting, design, the target parameter, and statistical methods used to analyse the ordinal outcome were extracted.
resultsThe search identified 309 studies, of which 144 were eligible for inclusion. The most used target parameter was an odds ratio, reported in 78 (54%) studies. The ordinal outcome was dichotomised for analysis in 47 (
conclusionsThe results of this review indicate that in RCTs that use an ordinal outcome, there is variation in the target parameter and the analytical approaches used, with many dichotomising the ordinal outcome. Few studies provided assurance regarding the appropriateness of the assumptions and methods used to analyse the ordinal outcome. More guidance is needed to improve the transparent reporting of the analysis of ordinal outcomes in future trials.
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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.