Article type
Abstract
Background:
A core outcome set (COS) is an agreed standardized set of outcomes that should be measured and reported, as a minimum, in all clinical trials in a specific area of health or health care.
Objectives:
To review evidence about the uptake of COSs throughout the health care research ecosystem.
Methods:
This article provides an up-to-date analysis of what is known about the uptake of COSs in the evidence ecosystem and similarities between COSs and outcomes recommended by stakeholders, together with common facilitators and barriers to COS use. Actions taken by organizations to facilitate COS uptake are described.
Results:
There has been a notable increase in the proportion of Cochrane reviewers searching for a COS, from 10% in 2019 to 39% in 2022. A relevant COS exists for almost half of the review topics. Among 38 clinical guidelines (170 PICO statements) from 7 countries, none explicitly mentioned the existing relevant COS, and the median proportion of core outcomes covered by the guideline PICO was 30% (range 0% to 100%). Among 119 internationally sourced health technology assessments (HTAs), the median proportion of core outcomes covered by the HTA was 40% (range 0% to 100%).
Common facilitators for using COSs are awareness, positive perceptions, and organizational recommendations. Common barriers are related to scope matching, and not including in the COS development process all groups that might use the COS. Increasingly, COS developers are considering strategies for promoting uptake earlier in the process, including actions beyond traditional dissemination approaches.
Conclusions:
The persistent problem of outcome inconsistency in primary research evidence merits greater use of COSs in systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, and HTAs, although important gaps in where COSs exist and are used remain.
An increasing number and variety of organizations are recommending COSs be considered. Research is needed to assess the impact of various actions that could be taken to identify effective evidence-based strategies and reduce research waste.
Relevance and Importance to Patients: Although no patients were involved in this abstract, COSs are developed with various stakeholders, including patients.
A core outcome set (COS) is an agreed standardized set of outcomes that should be measured and reported, as a minimum, in all clinical trials in a specific area of health or health care.
Objectives:
To review evidence about the uptake of COSs throughout the health care research ecosystem.
Methods:
This article provides an up-to-date analysis of what is known about the uptake of COSs in the evidence ecosystem and similarities between COSs and outcomes recommended by stakeholders, together with common facilitators and barriers to COS use. Actions taken by organizations to facilitate COS uptake are described.
Results:
There has been a notable increase in the proportion of Cochrane reviewers searching for a COS, from 10% in 2019 to 39% in 2022. A relevant COS exists for almost half of the review topics. Among 38 clinical guidelines (170 PICO statements) from 7 countries, none explicitly mentioned the existing relevant COS, and the median proportion of core outcomes covered by the guideline PICO was 30% (range 0% to 100%). Among 119 internationally sourced health technology assessments (HTAs), the median proportion of core outcomes covered by the HTA was 40% (range 0% to 100%).
Common facilitators for using COSs are awareness, positive perceptions, and organizational recommendations. Common barriers are related to scope matching, and not including in the COS development process all groups that might use the COS. Increasingly, COS developers are considering strategies for promoting uptake earlier in the process, including actions beyond traditional dissemination approaches.
Conclusions:
The persistent problem of outcome inconsistency in primary research evidence merits greater use of COSs in systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, and HTAs, although important gaps in where COSs exist and are used remain.
An increasing number and variety of organizations are recommending COSs be considered. Research is needed to assess the impact of various actions that could be taken to identify effective evidence-based strategies and reduce research waste.
Relevance and Importance to Patients: Although no patients were involved in this abstract, COSs are developed with various stakeholders, including patients.