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Research: ELORRIAGA and colleagues,
Listed in Issue 92
Abstract
ELORRIAGA and colleagues, Department of Anaesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, aelorriaga@sympatico.ca, have reviewed (16 references) the reporting of clinical details in trials of acupuncture for the treatment of migraine/headaches and nausea/vomiting.
Background
The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of reporting of clinical details in 30 randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for the treatment of migraine-headaches (11 trials) and nausea/vomiting (19 trials). In addition, the quality of randomization and the degree of reporting of information about the main outcome measures was to be assessed.
Methodology
A checklist of 50 clinical details selected on the basis of a previous study was used to evaluate the degree of reporting of information about patients, practitioners, diagnoses, and acupuncture treatments. The likelihood of bias in the randomization process was assessed using a previously validated scale. Information about the validity and clinical significance of main outcome measures was rated as fully, partially, or not reported.
Results
In this sample of acupuncture trials, an average of 38.7% of important clinical details per trial were reported by researchers, the lowest being 26.4% for the migraine/headache group. Studies with better quality of randomization were not more likely to report more clinical details. Only five studies provided information about reliability and validity of the main outcome measures, and only four studies, all from the migraine/headache group, discussed the clinical significance of the outcome measures used.
Conclusion
The reporting of important clinical information in these studies was inadequate. Often the researchers did not discuss the reliability, validity and clinical relevance of the outcome measures used, thus rendering potential readers unable to assess the usefulness of the trials from a clinical point of view.
References
Elorriaga CA, Hanna SE, Fargas BA. Reporting of clinical details in randomized/controlled trials of acupuncture for the treatment of migraine/headaches and nausea/vomiting. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 9 (1): 151-159, Feb 2003.
