Analysis report of adherence to consort statement for reporting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) Associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs): A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and their management are widely sought after by clinicians. They often refer to the reported randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the literature. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement aims to improve the quality of published RCTs and is endorsed by healthcare journals. Despite the widespread acceptance of CONSORT, its use for reporting clinical trials in the journals remains suboptimal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, to what extent RCTs related to TMDs have adhered to the CONSORT statement. Methodology: RCTs related to TMDs, published in PubMed from January 2017 to March 2021 were retrieved. Each article was assessed for its adherence to the CONSORT statement by four trained and calibrated investigators. Results: 88 articles were evaluated. Out of 37 items in the checklist, only 4 items demonstrated 100% adherence (item 2a, 2b, 5, 12a, and 16). The most under-reported items were 7a, 8b, 9, 10, 17a, 17b, 19, 23, and 24 (less than 50%). The mean percentage of adherence remained 71.2 ± 12.6. Only one study showed 100% adherence and three studies had less than 50% adherence. Considering adherence of abstract checklist, three items demonstrated 100% adherence (items 4, 5, and 6). Poor reporting was noted with items 8, 13, 15, and 16. The mean percentage of adherence to abstract reporting remained 68.60 ± 11.79. Conclusion: The present study indicates good adherence to CONSORT statement in reporting RCTs related to TMD management. Probably the mandatory instructions from the journals and increasing awareness among the researchers about CONSORT reporting might have done the trick.