Cited by 1,195Meta-analysis and systematic reviewsDelphi Technique in ResearchStatistical Methods in Clinical Trials

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 50 of the 51 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 18 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

CONSORT 2025 statement: updated guideline for reporting randomised trials

Open access

Abstract

Background: Well designed and properly executed randomised trials are considered the most reliable evidence on the benefits of healthcare interventions. However, there is overwhelming evidence that the quality of reporting is not optimal. The CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement was designed to improve the quality of reporting and provides a minimum set of items to be included in a report of a randomised trial. CONSORT was first published in 1996, then updated in 2001 and 2010. Here, we present the updated CONSORT 2025 statement, which aims to account for recent methodological advancements and feedback from end users. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the literature and developed a project-specific database of empirical and theoretical evidence related to CONSORT, to generate a list of potential changes to the checklist. The list was enriched with recommendations provided by the lead authors of existing CONSORT extensions (Harms, Outcomes, Non-pharmacological Treatment), other related reporting guidelines (TIDieR) and recommendations from other sources (eg, personal communications). The list of potential changes to the checklist was assessed in a large, international, online, three-round Delphi survey involving 317 participants and discussed at a two-day online expert consensus meeting of 30 invited international experts. Results: We have made substantive changes to the CONSORT checklist. We added seven new checklist items, revised three items, deleted one item, and integrated several items from key CONSORT extensions. We also restructured the CONSORT checklist, with a new section on open science. The CONSORT 2025 statement consists of a 30-item checklist of essential items that should be included when reporting the results of a randomised trial and a diagram for documenting the flow of participants through the trial. To facilitate implementation of CONSORT 2025, we have also developed an expanded version of the CONSORT 2025 checklist, with bullet points eliciting critical elements of each item. Conclusion: Authors, editors, reviewers, and other potential users should use CONSORT 2025 when writing and evaluating manuscripts of randomised trials to ensure that trial reports are clear and transparent.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

CONSORT 2025 is an updated reporting guideline for randomised trials, replacing CONSORT 2010 with a 30-item checklist, a participant flow diagram, and an expanded checklist. It adds seven items, revises three, deletes one, integrates items from key CONSORT extensions, and adds an open science section.

Key findings

  • The update added seven new checklist items, revised three items, deleted one item, and integrated several items from key CONSORT extensions (Harms, Outcomes, Non-pharmacological Treatment) and TIDieR; it also restructured the checklist with a new open science section.
  • CONSORT 2025 consists of a 30-item checklist and a flow diagram; an expanded checklist with bullet points eliciting critical elements of each item was also developed.
  • New items include data sharing (item 4), author conflicts of interest (item 5b), patient/public involvement (item 8), eligibility criteria for sites and intervention deliverers (item 12b), harms assessment (item 15), analysis population and missing data handling (items 21b, 21c), and intervention/comparator delivery and concomitant care (items 24a, 24b).
  • A Cochrane review cited in the paper found that 25 of 27 CONSORT checklist items were more completely reported in CONSORT-endorsing versus non-endorsing journals, based on 50 evaluations of 16,604 trials; the paper notes a causal effect cannot be proven.

Methods

  • Guideline update followed EQUATOR Network guidance; methods included a scoping review, a project-specific database (SCEBdb), and recommendations from lead authors of key CONSORT extensions and TIDieR.
  • Potential changes were assessed in a three-round international online Delphi survey with 317 participants in round 1, 303 in round 2, and 290 in round 3; participants rated inclusion on a 5-point Likert scale and could provide free-text comments.
  • Results were discussed at a two-day online expert consensus meeting of 30 invited international experts (1–2 March 2023), followed by a two-day in-person executive writing meeting in Oxford (25–26 April 2023); Zoom polls were advisory and no formal consensus threshold was specified.

Limitations

  • Stated: CONSORT 2025 and SPIRIT 2025 do not include recommendations for designing, conducting, or analysing trials, and CONSORT 2025 is not meant to be used as a quality assessment instrument.
  • Stated: CONSORT 2025 provides guidance for all randomised trials but focuses on the most common type, the two-group parallel design; it also does not suggest a rigid structure for reporting.
  • Stated: the paper notes that a causal effect cannot be proven for the association between journal endorsement of CONSORT and better reporting; consensus polls at the expert meeting were advisory and no formal consensus threshold was specified.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1136/bmj-2024-081123

Cites

50 of 50 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Figures

Fig 1 CONSORT 2025 flow diagram. Flow diagram of the progress through the phases of a randomised trial of two groups (ie, enrolment, intervention allocation, follow-up, and data analysis). CONSORT=Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials
Fig 1 CONSORT 2025 flow diagram. Flow diagram of the progress through the phases of a randomised trial of two groups (ie, enrolment, intervention allocation, follow-up, and data analysis). CONSORT=Consolidated Standards of Reporting TrialsCC BY · PubMed Central

Verification

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24 No basis given · 13 Not checked yet · 6 Own interpretation · 5 Own result · 4 Own method

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  • Probably not a substantial claim. 46
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 12
46 of 46
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Randomised trials, when appropriately designed, conducted, analysed, and reported, are generally considered the highest quality evidence in evaluating healthcare interventions.

    “Well designed and properly executed randomised trials are considered the most reliable evidence on the benefits of healthcare interventions.”
    “Randomised trials, when appropriately designed, conducted, analysed, and reported, are generally considered the highest quality evidence in evaluating healthcare interventions.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    To interpret a randomised trial accurately, readers need complete and transparent information on its methods and findings.

    “- To interpret a randomised trial accurately, readers need complete and transparent information on its methods and findings”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Critical appraisal of the quality of randomised trials is possible only if their design, conduct, analysis, and results are thoroughly and accurately reported.

    “Critical appraisal of the quality of randomised trials is possible only if their design, conduct, analysis, and results are thoroughly and accurately reported.”
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Metadata

Authors
Hopewell, S., Chan, A.-W., Collins, G. S., Hróbjartsson, A., Moher, D., Schulz, K. F., Tunn, R., Aggarwal, R., Berkwits, M., Berlin, J. A., Bhandari, N., Butcher, N. J., Campbell, M. K., Chidebe, R. C. W., Elbourne, D., Farmer, A., Fergusson, D. A., Golub, R. M., Goodman, S. N., Hoffmann, T. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Kahan, B. C., Knowles, R. L., Lamb, S. E., Lewis, S., Loder, E., Offringa, M., Ravaud, P., Richards, D. P., Rockhold, F. W., Schriger, D. L., Siegfried, N. L., Staniszewska, S., Taylor, R. S., Thabane, L., Torgerson, D., Vohra, S., White, I. R., & Boutron, I.
Affiliations
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • University of Toronto (CA)
  • UK EQUATOR Centre, Centre for Statistics in Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
  • University of Southern Denmark (DK)
  • Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (CA)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IN)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
  • Society for Applied Studies (IN)
  • University of Aberdeen (GB)
  • Miami University (US)
  • London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
  • Northwestern University (US)
  • Stanford University (US)
  • Bond University (AU)
  • MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL (GB)
  • University College London (GB)
  • University of Exeter (GB)
  • University of Edinburgh (GB)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Hospital for Sick Children (CA)
  • Inserm (FR)
  • MaRS (CA)
  • Duke Medical Center (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • South African Medical Research Council (ZA)
  • University of Warwick (GB)
  • MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit (GB)
  • St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (CA)
  • University of York (GB)
  • University of Alberta (CA)
Corresponding author
Hopewell, Sally
Venue
BMJ
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2025-04-14
Volume
389
Pages
e081123
ISSN
1756-1833 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4409483458
Cited by
1,195
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 904 · 2025: 290
FWCI
755.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • BMJ (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (acceptedVersion)
  • Aberdeen University Research Archive (Aberdeen University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Bond University Research Portal (Bond University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • University of Miami
  • Northwestern University
  • Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • McMaster University
  • Bond University
  • University of Alberta
  • University of Exeter
  • University of Warwick
  • University College London
  • University of Oxford
  • University of Glasgow
  • University of Aberdeen
  • South African Medical Research Council
  • Hospital for Sick Children
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Delphi Technique in Research
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials
Keywords
reporting guidelines, randomised trials, trial reporting quality, CONSORT checklist, CONSORT extension, harms reporting, non-pharmacological treatment, open science, TIDieR, Delphi consensus
MeSH terms
Delphi Technique, Humans, Publishing, Research Design, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Guidelines as Topic, Checklist, Research Report

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