ArticleSurgical endoscopy2026
Unmasking healthcare disparities: the underreporting of gender, race, and ethnicity data in high-impact factor minimally invasive surgery journals.
Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDiverse representation in clinical research is essential for equitable healthcare. Despite mandates from organizations like the NIH and ICMJE, race and gender remain underreported in surgical research, raising concerns about the generalizability of findings. This study examines demographic reporting trends in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and advanced endoscopy publications before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
methodsA systematic review of Surgical Endoscopy, Journal of Robotic Surgery, and Surgical Innovation was conducted, analyzing articles published between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2023. 472 studies were included. For each study, study type, journal, date, geographic origin, and reported demographic data were recorded. Reporting rates across time periods (pre- vs. post-March 2020), region of origin, study design, and journal were analyzed via Chi-square, Fisher's exact tests, and Cochran-Armitage trend tests.
resultsOf the 472 studies, 61.2% were randomized controlled trials, with geographic representation from Asia (37.7%), Europe (34.8%), and North America (22.3%). Only 21 North American studies (20 U.S., 1 Canada) reported race; no studies from Asia or Europe did so. Among U.S. studies, race reporting did not differ significantly pre- vs. post-COVID (22.2% vs. 21.8%; p = 0.25), nor did gender reporting (p = 0.07). Regional differences in U.S. race reporting were significant (p = 0.003), with the Midwest having the lowest rate. Post-2020, gender reporting was significantly higher in Asia (94.9%) compared to Europe (84.7%) and North America (80.9%) (p = 0.005).
conclusionsDemographics remain underreported in MIS and advanced endoscopy research, particularly outside North America. Despite increased attention to health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting practices have not significantly improved. Broader adoption of standardized demographic reporting is needed to ensure evidence-based surgical care for all populations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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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.