OBJECTIVE: To describe the change with time of the reported methodological quality of randomized controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: For all trials of physiotherapy interventions indexed on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), year of publication, and methodological quality scores (11-item PEDro scale and total PEDro score [range, 0-10]) were extracted. The relationship between trial quality and time was evaluated using regression analyses for the PEDro total score and individual quality items. The study was carried out in a university research center. RESULTS: Data from 10,025 trials published since 1960 were analyzed. The total PEDro score was related to time (year of publication), with the total score increasing by an average of ∼0.6 points each decade between 1960 and 2009. The reported use of eight of the 11 individual items from the PEDro scale (intention-to-treat analysis, concealed allocation, groups similar at baseline, reporting of results of between-group statistical comparisons, point measures and measures of variability reported, subjects randomly allocated to groups, eligibility criteria specified, and blinding of assessors) also improved with time. CONCLUSION: The reported methodological quality of randomized controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions has improved over time. Further improvement is still necessary.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the change with time of the reported methodological quality of randomized controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: For all trials of physiotherapy interventions indexed on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), year of publication, and methodological quality scores (11-item PEDro scale and total PEDro score [range, 0-10]) were extracted. The relationship between trial quality and time was evaluated using regression analyses for the PEDro total score and individual quality items. The study was carried out in a university research center. RESULTS: Data from 10,025 trials published since 1960 were analyzed. The total PEDro score was related to time (year of publication), with the total score increasing by an average of ∼0.6 points each decade between 1960 and 2009. The reported use of eight of the 11 individual items from the PEDro scale (intention-to-treat analysis, concealed allocation, groups similar at baseline, reporting of results of between-group statistical comparisons, point measures and measures of variability reported, subjects randomly allocated to groups, eligibility criteria specified, and blinding of assessors) also improved with time. CONCLUSION: The reported methodological quality of randomized controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions has improved over time. Further improvement is still necessary.
Authors: Susan Armijo-Olivo; Bruno R da Costa; Greta G Cummings; Christine Ha; Jorge Fuentes; Humam Saltaji; Matthias Egger Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-07-10 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Susan Armijo-Olivo; Humam Saltaji; Bruno R da Costa; Jorge Fuentes; Christine Ha; Greta G Cummings Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2015-09-03 Impact factor: 2.692