Editorial policy in Cuban medical journals and the evidences production process: reality and perspectives

Article type
Authors
Torres-Pombert A1, Piedra M1
1Scientific Information Unit, National Coordinating Centre of Clinical Trials, Playa, Cuba
Abstract
Background: It s considered that Cuban Clinical Trials reporting doesn t reflect the powerful clinical research of the country. The almost null generation of systematic reviews is a fact and it requires being stimulated. To find a clinical trial no published is difficult, sometimes they are hidden if they report no expected results. Searching and locating published trials is equally difficult overalls because of the lack of indexing and classifying consistency of documents, and the poor description of the research methods. Multiple international initiatives look for standardising the process and improving the quality and honesty of the report. The influence of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) uniform requirements, the public registration of clinical trials and the CONSORT statement in the Cuban medical journals is ignored. Objective: To evaluate the adherence of Cuban medical journals to this requirements. To evaluate the endorsement of reports to the CONSRT statement. Methods: The instructions to authors of the journals were revised for identifying parameters related with those requirements. The journals editors/managers were interviewed for evaluating their knowledge in this respect. A clinical trial from the last year of each journal was evaluated, according to selected items of the CONSORT. Results: This work is part of a national project for promoting the evidence, the collecting stage it is at 90% and it should conclude in May 2010. Till now no journal refers the CONSORT and the public registration explicitly, although the Cuban register exists from 2006. In few cases they are recommended partially the ICMJE requirements. Some ignorance exists in general and the requirements have not had incidence in the editorial policy, what affects the quality of the report process. The evaluated reports don t fulfil at least the most elementary Consort items. Final considerations: An educational and formative work is required for professionals in general and for editors/managers for modifying the editorial policy and to make it complete. The project has conceived the promotion of the requirements through information and communication services and other educational resources through the web and formative workshops. Some examples of those solutions are shown.