Quality and validity of randomized controlled trials in China from the perspective of systematic reviews

Abstract

A systematic review is based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and the reliability of its conclusion is closely related to the quality of original literature. The low quality of existing RCTs in China leads to the failure of conclusive findings in systematic reviews when evaluating the effectiveness of interventions. It is almost universal for systematic reviews to draw the conclusion that "further well-designed multicenter and large-scale RCTs are still required to confirm the beneficial effects of interventions". This paper analyzed the current status of RCTs in China, discussed the influence of including trials of low quality in a systematic review and assessed how a systematic review should be carried out under such circumstances. Furthermore, the methods to evaluate the quality of RCTs were introduced and evaluated. Finally, several strategies were proposed to improve the quality of RCTs in China: foster an honest academic and social environment, enhance the training of doctors on clinical research methodology, promote the implementation of clinical registration systems and strengthen the quality control of clinical research and the medical journals regulations on the quality of submitted papers.