Reporting of randomized controlled trials in andrology journals: a quality assessment.

INTRODUCTION

Quality assessment of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is important to prevent the adoption of findings of low-quality trials into clinical practice.

AIM

The aim of this study was to analyze the quality of studies reporting RCTs in andrology journals (The Journal of Sexual Medicine [JSM], the Asian Journal of Andrology [AJA], the Journal of Andrology [JOA], the International Journal of Andrology [IJA]).

METHODS

A quality assessment was conducted on all studies identified as RCTs published in andrology journals (JSM, AJA, JOA, IJA) until 2011. The review period was divided into three terms: early, mid, and late each journal.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The Jadad scale, van Tulder scale, and the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool (CCRBT) were employed. The RCTs were also categorized by country of origin, the inclusion of institutional review board (IRB) approval, funding, and blindness.

RESULTS

There were1,954 original articles published in the JSM, 893 articles in the AJA, 2,527 articles in the JOA, and 2,086 articles in the IJA for the review period. There were 172 studies reporting on RCTs in the JSM, 33 RCTs in the AJA, 63 RCTs in the JOA, and 29 RCTs in the IJA. No significant increase in Jadad or van Tulder scale scores were found over time, nor were there any significant changes in the number of high-quality articles as assessed by CCRBT. However, significant differences in quality analysis were found according to blinding, funding, and IRB approval.

CONCLUSION

The number of original articles and RCTs in andrology increased over time. However, the ratio of RCTs to original articles as well as RCT quality was statistically insignificant. It would be required for the researchers to focus efforts in performing high-quality studies to ensure appropriate randomization, reviews by IRB, financial support, and inclusion of allocation concealment during study performance.