Evidence, ethics, and quality appraisal tool for In Vitro studies: A concept note based on scoping review of current tools relevant to dental In Vitro research

Abstract

The contribution of in vitro studies has been often under-valued in the context of dental research quality owing to the in vitro study's position in the bottom of the evidence pyramid and the limited number of appraisal tools which are comprehensive. There is a need to understand the scope and shortcomings of current tools used in the appraisal of in vitro studies as applicable to dental research and to propose a new quality appraisal tool for in vitro research which is superior to the current tools. A scoping review was conducted to address the above- mentioned objectives; a systematic search in the PubMed and Google databases was done for pertinent published articles as available till September 14, 2021. Concept notes, protocols, and editorials that reported tools for critical appraisal of in vitro studies in dentistry for both primary and secondary researches. After screening of titles, abstracts and after eliminating duplicates, two tools were found that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the present scoping review. Critical appraisal of the two tools – modified CONSORT checklist of items for reporting in vitro studies of dental materials and CRIS (Check- list for Reporting In- vitro Studies) had limitations with respect to relevance, ethical considerations, and applicability. Based on the inadequacies identified in the existing appraisal tools, a preliminary checklist – Evidence, Ethics, and Quality Appraisal Tool for in vitro studies is proposed as a new tool that integrates quality appraisal of experimental procedures along with ethical standards, relevant to dental in vitro research.