Poor description of non-pharmacological interventions: analysis of consecutive sample of randomised trials
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the completeness of descriptions of non-pharmacological interventions in randomised trials, identify which elements are most frequently missing, and assess whether authors can provide missing details. DESIGN: Analysis of consecutive sample of randomised trials of non-pharmacological interventions. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: All reports of randomised trials of non-pharmacological interventions published in 2009 in six leading general medical journals; 133 trial reports, with 137 interventions, met the inclusion criteria. DATA COLLECTION: Using an eight item checklist, two raters assessed the primary full trial report, plus any reference materials, appendices, or websites. Questions about missing details were emailed to corresponding authors, and relevant items were then reassessed. RESULTS: Of 137 interventions, only 53 (39%) were adequately described; this was increased to 81 (59%) by using 63 responses from 88 contacted authors. The most frequently missing item was the "intervention materials" (47% complete), but it also improved the most after author response (92% complete). Whereas some authors (27/70) provided materials or further information, other authors (21/70) could not; their reasons included copyright or intellectual property concerns, not having the materials or intervention details, or being unaware of their importance. Although 46 (34%) trial interventions had further information or materials readily available on a website, many were not mentioned in the report, were not freely accessible, or the URL was no longer functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Missing essential information about interventions is a frequent, yet remediable, contributor to the worldwide waste in research funding. If trial reports do not have a sufficient description of interventions, other researchers cannot build on the findings, and clinicians and patients cannot reliably implement useful interventions. Improvement will require action by funders, researchers, and publishers, aided by long term repositories of materials linked to publications.
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The quality of intervention description in publications is remarkably poor.
“However the quality of intervention description in publications is remarkably poor.”
From Better reporting of interventions: template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist and guide (2014) · cites this paper as [3]
This increased, albeit to only 59%, by contacting authors for additional information.
“This increased, albeit to only 59%, by contacting authors for additional information- a task almost no clinicians and few researchers have time to undertake.”
From Better reporting of interventions: template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist and guide (2014) · cites this paper as [3]
More than 30% of reports did not provide sufficient details to allow replication of the treatment evaluated in the trial in clinical practice.
“and more than 30 % of reports did not provide sufficient details to allow replication of the treatment evaluated in the trial in clinical practice [11, 23].”
From Impact of an online writing aid tool for writing a randomized trial report: the COBWEB (Consort-based WEB tool) randomized controlled trial (2015) · cites this paper as [23]
The quality of published intervention descriptions is generally poor, with techniques described using different terminology and labelling.
“However, the quality of published intervention descriptions is generally poor, 95 with techniques described using different terminology and referred to using different labelling.104,105”
The PRISMS review found that no single component of self-management interventions could be identified as being more important than others.
“The review found that no single component of self-management interventions could be identified as being more important than others, but also that the detail and quality of reporting of these complex interventions was a barrier to their wider implementation and the understanding of their effective components [12,13].”
The detail and quality of reporting of complex self-management interventions was a barrier to their wider implementation and the understanding of their effective components.
“The review found that no single component of self-management interventions could be identified as being more important than others, but also that the detail and quality of reporting of these complex interventions was a barrier to their wider implementation and the understanding of their effective components [12,13].”
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Self-Management for Men With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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Control interventions in randomised trials among people with mental health disorders
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- Authors
- Hoffmann, T. C., Erueti, C., & Glasziou, P. P.
- Affiliations
- Bond University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Hoffmann, T. C.
- Venue
- BMJ
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2013-09-10
- Volume
- 347
- Issue
- sep10 1
- Pages
- f3755-f3755
- ISSN
- 1756-1833 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3768250
- OpenAlex
- W2074589655
- Cited by
- 375
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 34.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- BMJ (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- e-publications@bond (Bond University) (submittedVersion)
- Bond University Research Portal (Bond University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Funders
- University College London
- Medical Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council (527500, 1033038)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Academic Publishing and Open Access
- Keywords
- non-pharmacological treatment, intervention description, reporting completeness, randomised trials, trial reports, intervention materials, research waste, reproducibility, author response, research funding
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Biomedical Research, Research Report
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