Abstract
BackgroundGiven the large number of publications in all fields of practice, it is essential that clinicians focus on the resources that provide the highest level of evidence (LOE). We sought to determine the LOE that exists in the field of pediatrics, present in the general pediatric as well as high impact clinical literature.MethodsClinical pediatric literature, published between April 2011 and March 2012 inclusive in high-impact clinical journals (HICJ) (New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, & The Lancet) and the highest-impact general pediatric journals (GPJ) (Pediatrics, Journal of Pediatrics, & Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine), was assessed. In addition to the LOE, articles were evaluated on criteria including subspecialty within pediatrics, number of authors, number of centers, and other parameters. Eligible level I randomized control trials were appraised using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines.ResultsOf 6511 articles screened, 804 met inclusion criteria (68 in HICJ and 736 in GPJ). On average, LOE in pediatrics-focused articles within The Lancet were significantly higher than all GPJ (p < 0.05). Average CONSORT scores were significantly higher in HICJ vs. GPJ (15.2 vs. 13.6, respectively, p < 0.001).ConclusionsLOE and quality of randomized control trials within the pediatric field is highest within HICJ, however, only represent a small proportion of data published. Following CONSORT criteria, and promoting studies of high LOE may allow authors and readers to turn to journals and articles of greater clinical impact.
Highlights
Given the large number of publications in all fields of practice, it is essential that clinicians focus on the resources that provide the highest level of evidence (LOE)
This study compares the LOE of pediatricrelated clinical studies found in general pediatric journals (GPJ) to that found in high impact clinical journals (HICJ) using the Oxford LOE guidelines, whereby the highest LOE includes Randomized control trial (RCT) and the lowest LOE includes studies that detail expert opinion/case series
This study demonstrates that studies with a higher LOE are more likely to be found in HICJ as opposed to GPJ
Summary
Given the large number of publications in all fields of practice, it is essential that clinicians focus on the resources that provide the highest level of evidence (LOE). We sought to determine the LOE that exists in the field of pediatrics, present in the general pediatric as well as high impact clinical literature. Evidence-based medicine purports to critically assess and utilize high-quality studies to help guide clinical practice. Clinicians do not often have the time to critically appraise and assess all relevant publications, and miss out on high-quality, relevant studies due to readership. This study compares the LOE of pediatricrelated clinical studies found in general pediatric journals (GPJ) to that found in high impact clinical journals (HICJ) using the Oxford LOE guidelines, whereby the highest LOE includes RCTs and the lowest LOE includes studies that detail expert opinion/case series. We compare randomized control trial design between these two groups
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