Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the quality of descriptions of interventions in health care research reports,
based on a synthesis of reviews that used the Template for Intervention Description
and Replication (TIDieR) to rate the completeness and quality of intervention reporting.
Design
Overview of published reviews. In a systematic search of the literature, 56 review
articles were retrieved that had evaluated 3454 primary studies (index articles) using
all or most of the 12 TIDieR items, applied to experimental treatment only or treatment
and comparator both, separately. If available, percentages “reported completely” were
extracted based on the index article, the index article supplemented by related information,
and these 2 supplemented by e-mailing the author. Information on the review’s methodology
was also extracted.
Setting
Not applicable.
Participants
Not applicable.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Percentage of primary studies receiving “adequately reported” ratings on each of the
12 TIDieR items.
Results
While for treatment arms TIDieR items 1 (name of treatment) and 2 (why of treatment)
are generally judged to be reported adequately, the percentage is between 25% and
75% for most other items and is as low as 10% for item 10 (modifications). Comparators
are reported even more poorly. Use of additional publications on a trial increased
percentages “reported adequately” marginally; e-mailing resulted in significant increases
in completeness of reporting. Rehabilitation trials were reported better than nonrehabilitation
trials for some TIDieR items and worse for others.
Conclusions
Reporting on the interventions and comparators of trials is substandard. More extensive
use of supplemental digital content and of versions of TIDieR customized for specific
domains of research may improve the situation.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials), RCT (randomized controlled trial), RTSS (Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System), SDC (supplemental digital content), TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 24, 2020
Footnotes
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
