We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial designs: a review of reporting quality and design features.
- Authors
Grayling, Michael J.; Wason, James M. S.; Mander, Adrian P.
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>The stepped wedge (SW) cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) design is being used with increasing frequency. However, there is limited published research on the quality of reporting of SW-CRCTs. We address this issue by conducting a literature review.<bold>Methods: </bold>Medline, Ovid, Web of Knowledge, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, the ISRCTN registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched to identify investigations employing the SW-CRCT design up to February 2015. For each included completed study, information was extracted on a selection of criteria, based on the CONSORT extension to CRCTs, to assess the quality of reporting.<bold>Results: </bold>A total of 123 studies were included in our review, of which 39 were completed trial reports. The standard of reporting of SW-CRCTs varied in quality. The percentage of trials reporting each criterion varied to as low as 15.4%, with a median of 66.7%.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>There is much room for improvement in the quality of reporting of SW-CRCTs. This is consistent with recent findings for CRCTs. A CONSORT extension for SW-CRCTs is warranted to standardize the reporting of SW-CRCTs.
- Subjects
WEDGES; RANDOMIZED controlled trials; MEDICAL informatics; MEDICAL records; REPORTERS &; reporting; EXPERIMENTAL design; MEDICAL protocols; QUALITY control; RESEARCH funding; SYSTEMATIC reviews; STANDARDS
- Publication
Trials, 2017, Vol 18, p1
- ISSN
1745-6215
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1186/s13063-017-1783-0