Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Complete and accurate reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies is essential to judge the potential for bias and to assess the generalisability of results. In January 2003, Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy (STARD-guidelines) were published simultaneously in 8 medical journals. The STARD-statement consists of 25 items and encourages the use of a flow diagram.
Objectives: To determine whether the publication of the STARD-statement has improved the quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies in journals with an impact factor of at least 4.
Methods: The quality of reporting in articles on primary studies of diagnostic accuracy published in 2000 (pre-STARD) and 2004 (post-STARD) is compared for journals adopting the STARD-statement (Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet, Clinical Chemistry, Neurology, Radiology) and non-adopting journals (Archives of Neurology, Archives of Internal Medicine, Circulation, Gut, New England Journal of Medicine). Two reviewers independently evaluated the quality of reporting of the included articles, using the STARD-statement. The change in percentages of publications reporting the individual items is compared between adopting and non-adopting journals, taking journal-level effects into account.
Results: 124 articles published in 2000 were included: 33 case-control studies and 91 cohort studies. Assessment of the reporting on the individual items of the STARD-statement revealed a wide variation, with some items described in 11% and others in 92% of the articles. Only 41% of the articles reported on more than 50% of the STARD items, while none of the articles reported on more than 80%. A flow chart was only presented in 2 articles. The mean STARD-score (range 0 to 25 points) was 11.9 (range 3.5 to 19.5). 137 articles published in 2004 were included. Results of the quality of reporting of studies published in 2004 will be presented at the colloquium.
Conclusions: The quality of reporting in articles on diagnostic accuracy published in 2000 is clearly less than optimal, even in journals with a high impact factor. Changes in the reporting after the introduction of the STARD statement will be discussed at the colloquium, together with strategies for further improvement.
Objectives: To determine whether the publication of the STARD-statement has improved the quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies in journals with an impact factor of at least 4.
Methods: The quality of reporting in articles on primary studies of diagnostic accuracy published in 2000 (pre-STARD) and 2004 (post-STARD) is compared for journals adopting the STARD-statement (Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet, Clinical Chemistry, Neurology, Radiology) and non-adopting journals (Archives of Neurology, Archives of Internal Medicine, Circulation, Gut, New England Journal of Medicine). Two reviewers independently evaluated the quality of reporting of the included articles, using the STARD-statement. The change in percentages of publications reporting the individual items is compared between adopting and non-adopting journals, taking journal-level effects into account.
Results: 124 articles published in 2000 were included: 33 case-control studies and 91 cohort studies. Assessment of the reporting on the individual items of the STARD-statement revealed a wide variation, with some items described in 11% and others in 92% of the articles. Only 41% of the articles reported on more than 50% of the STARD items, while none of the articles reported on more than 80%. A flow chart was only presented in 2 articles. The mean STARD-score (range 0 to 25 points) was 11.9 (range 3.5 to 19.5). 137 articles published in 2004 were included. Results of the quality of reporting of studies published in 2004 will be presented at the colloquium.
Conclusions: The quality of reporting in articles on diagnostic accuracy published in 2000 is clearly less than optimal, even in journals with a high impact factor. Changes in the reporting after the introduction of the STARD statement will be discussed at the colloquium, together with strategies for further improvement.