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Sonya Julie Abdulla, MD, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, ON The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the most reliable type of research study to prove whether a treatment works in dermatology. However, previous research suggests that the RCTs are not described very well when published in journals. Poor descriptions of RCTs means that doctors cannot fully understand how a study was done, and can lead to poor patient care decisions and health policy. In order to promote better reporting of studies in medicine, the CONSORT Statement was created. Many reputable medical journals use the CONSORT criteria in order to improve the how RCTs are described to doctors and health care workers. Some but not all dermatology journals use the CONSORT guidelines. We aim to evaluate the quality of reporting of RCTs published in the top dermatology journals between 2005 and 2010. We want to see how well dermatology researchers report their study design and results. This is important since proper interpretation of results can only be done if methods and results are accurately reported. Patients and dermatologists both want treatment decisions to be based on the most reliable information to ensure the best possible outcome. If RCTs are not adequately reported, additional measures such as researcher education as well as adoption and enforcement of reporting standards by dermatology journal editors will be necessary. |
