Handling missing data in RCTs; a review of the top medical journals
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Missing outcome data is a threat to the validity of treatment effect estimates in randomized controlled trials. We aimed to evaluate the extent, handling, and sensitivity analysis of missing data and intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in top tier medical journals, and compare our findings with previous reviews related to missing data and ITT in RCTs. METHODS: Review of RCTs published between July and December 2013 in the BMJ, JAMA, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine, excluding cluster randomized trials and trials whose primary outcome was survival. RESULTS: Of the 77 identified eligible articles, 73 (95%) reported some missing outcome data. The median percentage of participants with a missing outcome was 9% (range 0 - 70%). The most commonly used method to handle missing data in the primary analysis was complete case analysis (33, 45%), while 20 (27%) performed simple imputation, 15 (19%) used model based methods, and 6 (8%) used multiple imputation. 27 (35%) trials with missing data reported a sensitivity analysis. However, most did not alter the assumptions of missing data from the primary analysis. Reports of ITT or modified ITT were found in 52 (85%) trials, with 21 (40%) of them including all randomized participants. A comparison to a review of trials reported in 2001 showed that missing data rates and approaches are similar, but the use of the term ITT has increased, as has the report of sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Missing outcome data continues to be a common problem in RCTs. Definitions of the ITT approach remain inconsistent across trials. A large gap is apparent between statistical methods research related to missing data and use of these methods in application settings, including RCTs in top medical journals.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Missing data were managed using LMM, which is based on all observed data and accounts for data missing at random.
“Missing data were managed using LMM, which is based on all observed data and accounts for data missing at random [108-110].”
Many analyses are described as intention to treat but apply variable definitions in terms of handling missing outcome data or excluding participants who deviate from the intervention or follow-up protocols.
“Many analyses are described as intention to treat but apply variable definitions in terms of handling missing outcome data (item 27c) or excluding participants who deviate from the intervention or follow-up protocols.421 422”
From SPIRIT 2025 explanation and elaboration: updated guideline for protocols of randomised trials (2025) · cites this paper as [422]
Most randomised trials encounter some degree of missing outcome and covariate data.
“Most randomised trials encounter some degree of missing outcome and covariate data.422 426”
From SPIRIT 2025 explanation and elaboration: updated guideline for protocols of randomised trials (2025) · cites this paper as [422]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
The Measurement of Observer Agreement for Categorical Data
Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977) · Biometrics · doi:10.2307/2529310 · Cited by 81,148 · see citing works
Multiple Imputation for Nonresponse in Surveys
Rubin, D. B. (1987) · Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics · doi:10.1002/9780470316696 · Cited by 20,701 · see citing works
Statistical Analysis With Missing Data
Lahiff, M., Little, R. J. A., & Rubin, D. B. (1989) · Journal of the American Statistical Association · doi:10.2307/2289883 · Cited by 17,384 · see citing works
Moher, D., Hopewell, S., Schulz, K. F., Montori, V., Gotzsche, P. C., Devereaux, P. J., Elbourne, D., Egger, M., & Altman, D. G. (2010) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.c869 · Cited by 8,883 · cited 3× · see citing works
“The widely adopted CONSORT statement includes a set of checklists on ITT and missing data [19].”
BackgroundMethodStatistical Analysis with Missing Data
Little, R. J. A., & Rubin, D. B. (2002) · Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics · doi:10.1002/9781119013563 · Cited by 8,473 · see citing works
Sterne, J. A. C., White, I. R., Carlin, J. B., Spratt, M., Royston, P., Kenward, M. G., Wood, A. M., & Carpenter, J. R. (2009) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.b2393 · Cited by 7,299 · see citing works
Fitzmaurice, G. M., Laird, N. M., & Ware, J. H. (2011) · Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics · doi:10.1002/9781119513469 · Cited by 4,639 · see citing works
What is meant by intention to treat analysis? Survey of published randomised controlled trials
Hollis, S., & Campbell, F. (1999) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.319.7211.670 · Cited by 2,160 · see citing works
The prevention and treatment of missing data in clinical trials
Little, R. J., D'Agostino, R., Cohen, M. L., Dickersin, K., Emerson, S. S., Farrar, J. T., Frangakis, C., Hogan, J. W., Molenberghs, G., Murphy, S. A., et al. (2012) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmsr1203730 · Cited by 1,884 · see citing works
Analysis of Semiparametric Regression Models for Repeated Outcomes in the Presence of Missing Data
Robins, J. M., Rotnitzky, A. G., & Zhao, L. P. (1995) · Journal of the American Statistical Association · doi:10.1080/01621459.1995.10476493 · Cited by 1,574 · see citing works
A tutorial on sensitivity analyses in clinical trials: the what, why, when and how
Thabane, L., Mbuagbaw, L., Zhang, S., Samaan, Z., Marcucci, M., Ye, C., Thabane, M., Giangregorio, L., Dennis, B., Kosa, D., et al. (2013) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-13-92 · Cited by 893 · see citing works
Strategy for intention to treat analysis in randomised trials with missing outcome data
White, I. R., Horton, N. J., Carpenter, J. R., statistics, R. I. M. A. S., & Pocock, S. (2011) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.d40 · Cited by 849 · see citing works
Self-citationWood, A., White, I. R., & Thompson, S. G. (2004) · Clinical Trials · doi:10.1191/1740774504cn032oa · Cited by 546 · see citing works
Analyzing incomplete longitudinal clinical trial data
Molenberghs, G. (2004) · Biostatistics · doi:10.1093/biostatistics/5.3.445 · Cited by 463 · see citing works
Differential dropout and bias in randomised controlled trials: when it matters and when it may not
Bell, M. L., Kenward, M. G., Fairclough, D. L., & Horton, N. J. (2013) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.e8668 · Cited by 460 · see citing works
Self-citationAnalyzing incomplete longitudinal clinical trial data
Molenberghs, G. (2004) · Biostatistics · doi:10.1093/biostatistics/kxh001 · Cited by 378 · see citing works
Including all individuals is not enough: lessons for intention-to-treat analysis
White, I., Carpenter, J., & Horton, N. (2012) · Clinical Trials · doi:10.1177/1740774512450098 · Cited by 299 · see citing works
Self-citationPractical and statistical issues in missing data for longitudinal patient-reported outcomes
Bell, M. L., & Fairclough, D. L. (2013) · Statistical Methods in Medical Research · doi:10.1177/0962280213476378 · Cited by 285 · see citing works
Self-citationMissing data in randomised controlled trials: a practical guide
Carpenter, J. R., & Kenward, M. (2007) · LSHTM Research Online (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) · Cited by 204 · see citing works
Missing Data in Clinical Studies: Issues and Methods
Ibrahim, J. G., Chu, H., & Chen, M. (2012) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2011.38.7589 · Cited by 202 · see citing works
Beunckens, C., Molenberghs, G., & Kenward, M. G. (2005) · Clinical Trials · doi:10.1191/1740774505cn119oa · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Missing outcomes in randomized trials: addressing the dilemma.
Altman, D. G. (2009) · PubMed Central · Cited by 149 · see citing works
Gravel, J., Opatrny, L., & Shapiro, S. (2007) · Clinical Trials · doi:10.1177/1740774507081223 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Alshurafa, M., Briel, M., Akl, E. A., Haines, T., Moayyedi, P., Gentles, S. J., Rios, L., Tran, C., Bhatnagar, N., Lamontagne, F., et al. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049163 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Choice of the primary analysis in longitudinal clinical trials
Mallinckrodt, C. H., Watkin, J. G., Molenberghs, G., & Carroll, R. J. (2004) · Pharmaceutical Statistics · doi:10.1002/pst.124 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Web-Based Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for University Students
Kypri, K., Vater, T., Bowe, S. J., Saunders, J. B., Cunningham, J. A., Horton, N. J., & McCambridge, J. (2014) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2014.2138 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Self-citationLast Observation Carried Forward: A Crystal Ball?
Kenward, M. G., & Molenberghs, G. (2009) · Journal of Biopharmaceutical Statistics · doi:10.1080/10543400903105406 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Fielding, S., MacLennan, G., Cook, J. A., & Ramsay, C. R. (2008) · Trials · doi:10.1186/1745-6215-9-51 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Molnar, F., Man‐Son‐Hing, M., Hutton, B., & Fergusson, D. A. (2009) · PubMed Central · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Bell, M. L., King, M. T., & Fairclough, D. L. (2014) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/2158244014534858 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Self-citationGenetic effects, gene-lifestyle interactions, and type 2 diabetes
Qi, L. (2007) · Open Medicine · doi:10.2478/s11536-007-0051-1 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- [7]Council NR The prevention and treatment of missing data in clinical trials Committee on National Statistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education 2010 Washington DC National Academies Press 24983040
- The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2288/14/118/prepub
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Jakobsen, J. C., Gluud, C., Wetterslev, J., & Winkel, P. (2017) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-017-0442-1 · Cited by 2,747 · see citing works
Assessing risk of bias in a randomized trial
Higgins, J. P., Savović, J., Page, M. J., Elbers, R. G., & Sterne, J. A. (2019) · Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions · doi:10.1002/9781119536604.ch8 · Cited by 1,765 · see citing works
Mercieca-Bebber, R., King, M. T., Calvert, M. J., Stockler, M. R., & Friedlander, M. (2018) · Patient Related Outcome Measures · doi:10.2147/prom.s156279 · Cited by 659 · see citing works
“High rates of missing PRO data can reduce study power,(47) inflate risk of type 2 error,(48) bias interpretation,(47) and potentially undermine randomization.(49) Fielding et al determined that 18% of RCTs published in the four highest-impact medical journals between 2005 and 2006 had missing PRO data rates exceeding…”
Missing data imputation: focusing on single imputation.
Zhang, Z. (2016) · PubMed Central · doi:10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2015.12.38 · Cited by 428 · see citing works
Lee, K. J., Tilling, K. M., Cornish, R., Little, R. J. A., Bell, M. L., Goetghebeur, E. J. T., Hogan, J. W., & Carpenter, J. R. (2021) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.01.008 · Cited by 380 · see citing works
Self-citationShould multiple imputation be the method of choice for handling missing data in randomized trials?
Sullivan, T., White, I. R., Salter, A. B., Ryan, P., & Lee, K. J. (2016) · Statistical Methods in Medical Research · doi:10.1177/0962280216683570 · Cited by 307 · see citing works
Bell, M. L., Whitehead, A. L., & Julious, S. A. (2018) · Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.2147/clep.s146397 · Cited by 280 · see citing works
Self-citationVickerstaff, V., Omar, R., & Ambler, G. (2019) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-019-0754-4 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
CONSORT 2025 explanation and elaboration: updated guideline for reporting randomised trials
Hopewell, S., Chan, A.-W., Collins, G. S., Hróbjartsson, A., Moher, D., Schulz, K. F., Tunn, R., Aggarwal, R., Berkwits, M., Berlin, J. A., et al. (2025) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj-2024-081124 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
Outcome-sensitive multiple imputation: a simulation study
Kontopantelis, E., White, I. R., Sperrin, M., & Buchan, I. (2017) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-016-0281-5 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
Missing data: A statistical framework for practice
Carpenter, J. R., & Smuk, M. (2021) · Biometrical Journal · doi:10.1002/bimj.202000196 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
Cro, S., Morris, T. P., Kenward, M. G., & Carpenter, J. R. (2020) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/sim.8569 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
Handling missing items in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): a simulation study
Bell, M. L., Fairclough, D. L., Fiero, M. H., & Butow, P. N. (2016) · BMC Research Notes · doi:10.1186/s13104-016-2284-z · Cited by 183 · see citing works
Self-citationLiu, M., Li, S., Yuan, H., Ong, M. E. H., Ning, Y., Xie, F., Saffari, S. E., Shang, Y., Volovici, V., Chakraborty, B., et al. (2023) · Artificial Intelligence in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.artmed.2023.102587 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
SPIRIT 2025 explanation and elaboration: updated guideline for protocols of randomised trials
Hróbjartsson, A., Boutron, I., Hopewell, S., Moher, D., Schulz, K. F., Collins, G. S., Tunn, R., Aggarwal, R., Berkwits, M., Berlin, J. A., et al. (2025) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj-2024-081660 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Klein, J. P., Berger, T., Schröder, J., Späth, C., Meyer, B., Caspar, F., Lutz, W., Arndt, A., Greiner, W., Gräfe, V., et al. (2016) · Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics · doi:10.1159/000445355 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Issues in the determination of ‘responders’ and ‘non‐responders’ in physiological research
Atkinson, G., Williamson, P., & Batterham, A. M. (2019) · Experimental Physiology · doi:10.1113/ep087712 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Mercieca‐Bebber, R., Palmer, M., Brundage, M., Calvert, M., Stockler, M. R., & King, M. T. (2016) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010938 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
The treatment of incomplete data: Reporting, analysis, reproducibility, and replicability
Sidi, Y., & Harel, O. (2018) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.05.037 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Calvert, M., King, M. T., Mercieca‐Bebber, R., Aiyegbusi, O. L., Kyte, D. G., Slade, A. L., Chan, A., Basch, E., Bell, J. A., Bennett, A. V., et al. (2021) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045105 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Leurent, B., Gomes, M., Faria, R., Stephen Morris, A., Grieve, R., & Carpenter, J. R. (2018) · PharmacoEconomics · doi:10.1007/s40273-018-0650-5 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Jobes, D. A., Comtois, K. A., Gutierrez, P. M., Brenner, L. A., Huh, D., Chalker, S. A., Ruhe, G., Kerbrat, A. H., Atkins, D. C., Jennings, K., et al. (2017) · Psychiatry · doi:10.1080/00332747.2017.1354607 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Williams, L., Barnes, K., Ball, L., Ross, L., Sladdin, I., & Mitchell, L. (2019) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare7010020 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Statistical analysis and handling of missing data in cluster randomized trials: a systematic review
Fiero, M. H., Huang, S., Oren, E., & Bell, M. L. (2016) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-016-1201-z · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Self-citationDebray, T. P. A., Schuit, E., Efthimiou, O., Reitsma, J. B., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Salanti, G., Moons, K. G. M., & Workpackage, O. B. O. G. (2016) · Statistical Methods in Medical Research · doi:10.1177/0962280216660741 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Babić, A., Tokalić, R., Cunha, J. A. S., Novak, I., Šuto, J., Viđak, M., Miošić, I., Vuka, I., Peričić, T. P., & Puljak, L. (2019) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-019-0717-9 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Bell, M. L., & Rabe, B. A. (2020) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-020-4114-9 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Self-citationMultiple imputation of multiple multi-item scales when a full imputation model is infeasible
Plumpton, C. O., Morris, T., Hughes, D. A., & White, I. R. (2016) · BMC Research Notes · doi:10.1186/s13104-016-1853-5 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Rombach, I., Rivero‐Arias, O., Gray, A. M., Jenkinson, C., & Burke, Ó. (2016) · Quality of Life Research · doi:10.1007/s11136-015-1206-1 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Rombach, I., Gray, A. M., Jenkinson, C., Murray, D. W., & Rivero‐Arias, O. (2018) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-018-0542-6 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Hou, W., Lin, C., Yu, L., Qin, J., Yu, R., & Wang, L. (2023) · IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging · doi:10.1109/tmi.2023.3253760 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Dealing with missing outcome data in meta‐analysis
Mavridis, D., & White, I. R. (2019) · Research Synthesis Methods · doi:10.1002/jrsm.1349 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Bell, M. L., Dhillon, H. M., Bray, V., & Vardy, J. L. (2018) · Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes · doi:10.1186/s41687-018-0071-4 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Self-citationCombining Fourier and lagged k -nearest neighbor imputation for biomedical time series data
Rahman, S. A., Huang, Y., Claassen, J., Heintzman, N. D., & Kleinberg, S. (2015) · Journal of Biomedical Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.jbi.2015.10.004 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Rugo, H. S., Layman, R. M., Lynce, F. C., Liu, X., Li, B., McRoy, L., Cohen, A. B., Estévez, M., Curigliano, G., & Brufsky, A. (2025) · ESMO Open · doi:10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.104103 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Chiu, S., Yang, R., Yang, R.-J., & Chang, S. (2018) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-018-0714-6 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Ashbeck, E. L., & Bell, M. L. (2016) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-016-0144-0 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Self-citationMissing data in trial‐based cost‐effectiveness analysis: An incomplete journey
Leurent, B., Gomes, M., & Carpenter, J. R. (2018) · Health Economics · doi:10.1002/hec.3654 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Carroll, O., Morris, T. P., & Keogh, R. H. (2020) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-020-01018-7 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Kearney, A., Rosala‐Hallas, A., Bacon, N., Daykin, A. R., Shaw, A. R. G., Lane, J. A., Blazeby, J. M., Clarke, M. J., Williamson, P. R., & Gamble, C. L. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0204886 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Martínez-Calderón, J., Flores-Cortés, M., Morales‐Asencio, J. M., & Luque-Suárez, A. (2019) · Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2019.08.470 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Fielding, S., Ogbuagu, A., Sivasubramaniam, S., MacLennan, G., & Ramsay, C. R. (2016) · Quality of Life Research · doi:10.1007/s11136-016-1411-6 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Hussain, J. A., White, I. R., Langan, D., Johnson, M. J., Currow, D. C., Torgerson, D. J., & Bland, M. (2015) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2015.12.003 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Hussain, J. A., Bland, M., Langan, D., Johnson, M. J., Currow, D. C., & White, I. R. (2017) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.05.009 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Aithal, S., Karkou, V., Makris, S., Karaminis, T. N., & Powell, J. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.588418 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Daberdaku, S., Tavazzi, E., & Camillo, B. D. (2020) · Journal of Healthcare Informatics Research · doi:10.1007/s41666-020-00069-1 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Mason, A. J., Gomes, M., Grieve, R., Ulug, P., Powell, J. T., & Carpenter, J. R. (2017) · Clinical Trials · doi:10.1177/1740774517711442 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Malla, L., Perera, R., McFadden, E. C., Ogero, M. O., Stepniewska, K., & English, M. (2017) · Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research · doi:10.2217/cer-2017-0071 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Seiler, A., Amann, M., Hertler, C., Christ, S. M., Schettle, M., Kaeppeli, B. M., Jung-Amstutz, J., Nigg, C., Pestalozzi, B. C., Imesch, P., et al. (2024) · BMC Palliative Care · doi:10.1186/s12904-024-01408-4 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
di Ruffano, L. F., Dinnes, J., Sitch, A. J., Hyde, C., & Deeks, J. J. (2017) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-016-0287-z · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Tan, P.-T., Cro, S., Vogt, E. V., Szigeti, M., & Cornelius, V. R. (2021) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-021-01261-6 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Moula, Z., Powell, J., & Karkou, V. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586134 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Turner, N. L., Dias, S., Ades, A. E., & Welton, N. J. (2015) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/sim.6475 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Floden, L. L., & Bell, M. L. (2019) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-019-0793-x · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Self-citationDismantling the Fragility Index: A demonstration of statistical reasoning
Potter, G. E. (2020) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/sim.8689 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Carreras, G., Miccinesi, G., Wilcock, A., Preston, N. J., Nieboer, D., Deliëns, L., Grøenvold, M., Lunder, U., van der Heide, A., & Baccini, M. (2021) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-020-01180-y · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Okpara, C., Edokwe, C., Ioannidis, G., Παπαϊωάννου, Α., Adachi, J. D., & Thabane, L. (2022) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-022-01605-w · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Abraha, I., Cozzolino, F., Orso, M., Marchesi, M., Germani, A., Lombardo, G., Eusebi, P., Florio, R. D., Luchetta, M. L., Iorio, A., et al. (2017) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2016.11.012 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Biological and Technical Complications of Splinted or Nonsplinted Dental Implants
Ravidà, A., Saleh, M. H. A., Muriel, M. A. C., Maska, B., & Wang, H. (2017) · Implant Dentistry · doi:10.1097/id.0000000000000721 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Karin, E., Crane, M. F., Dear, B. F., Nielssen, O., Heller, G. Z., Kayrouz, R., & Titov, N. (2021) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/22700 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Medication-Induced Weight Change Across Common Antidepressant Treatments
Petimar, J., Young, J. G., Yu, H., Rifas‐Shiman, S. L., Daley, M. F., Heerman, W. J., Janicke, D. M., Jones, W. S., Lewis, K. H., Lin, P. D., et al. (2024) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/m23-2742 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Sullivan, T., Yelland, L. N., Lee, K. J., Ryan, P., & Salter, A. B. (2017) · Clinical Trials · doi:10.1177/1740774517703319 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Fu, D. J., Keenan, T. D. L., Faes, L., Lim, E., Wagner, S. K., Moraes, G., Huemer, J. C., Kern, C., Patel, P. J., Balaskas, K., et al. (2020) · JAMA Ophthalmology · doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.5044 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Haag, A., Landolt, M. A., Kenardy, J. A., Schiestl, C. M., Kimble, R. M., & De Young, A. C. (2020) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.13193 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Wong-Yu, I. S. K., & Mak, K. Y. (2015) · Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2015.08.409 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Evaluation of randomized controlled trials: a primer and tutorial for mental health researchers
Harrer, M., Cuijpers, P. J., Schuurmans, L., Kaiser, T., Buntrock, C., van Straten, A., & Ebert, D. D. (2023) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-023-07596-3 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
de Oliveira, D. R., Wilson, D., Palace‐Berl, F., Ponteciano, B. D. M., Rissatti, L. F., de Miranda, F. S., Pollizi, V. P., Fuscella, J. C., Terzi, A. M., Lepique, A. P., et al. (2021) · Brain Behavior & Immunity - Health · doi:10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100372 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Ulrich, S., Gantenbein, A. R., Zuber, V., Von Wyl, A., Kowatsch, T., & Künzli, H. (2024) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/50132 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
“Missing data were managed using LMM, which is based on all observed data and accounts for data missing at random [108-110].”
Value of quality of life analysis in liver cancer: A clinician’s perspective
Li, L. V., & Yeo, W. (2017) · World Journal of Hepatology · doi:10.4254/wjh.v9.i20.867 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Williams, D., & Thomas, S. (2017) · Human Resources for Health · doi:10.1186/s12960-017-0230-3 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Zand, D. H., Bultas, M. W., McMillin, S. E., Halloran, D. R., White, T., McNamara, D. M., & Pierce, K. J. (2017) · Family Process · doi:10.1111/famp.12334 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Missing Outcome Data in Epidemiologic Studies
Cole, S. R., Zivich, P. N., Edwards, J. K., Ross, R. K., Shook‐Sa, B. E., Price, J. T., & Stringer, J. S. A. (2022) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kwac179 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Kahale, L. A., Khamis, A. M., Diab, B., Chang, Y., Lopes, L. C., Agarwal, A., Li, L., Mustafa, R. A., Koujanian, S., Waziry, R., et al. (2020) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.m2898 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Bell, M. L., Floden, L. L., Rabe, B. A., Hudgens, S. A., Dhillon, H. M., Bray, V., & Vardy, J. L. (2019) · Patient Related Outcome Measures · doi:10.2147/prom.s178963 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Self-citationZhang, Y., Flórez, I. D., Colunga‐Lozano, L. E., Aloweni, F. B. A. B., Kennedy, S. A., Li, A., Craigie, S., Zhang, S., Agarwal, A., Lopes, L. C., et al. (2017) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.05.017 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Tongpeth, J., Du, H., Barry, T., & Clark, R. A. (2019) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/jan.14210 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Røed, M. H., Medin, A. C., Vik, F. N., Hillesund, E. R., Lippevelde, W. V., Campbell, K. J., & Øverby, N. C. (2021) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/18311 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Zion, S. R., Louis, K., Horii, R. I., Leibowitz, K. A., Heathcote, L. C., & Crum, A. J. (2022) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114889 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Rombach, I., Knight, R., Peckham, N., Stokes, J. R., & Cook, J. A. (2020) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-020-01598-7 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Bell, M. L., Horton, N. J., Dhillon, H. M., Bray, V., & Vardy, J. L. (2018) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.4777 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Self-citationReference‐based sensitivity analysis for time‐to‐event data
Atkinson, A., Kenward, M. G., Clayton, T. C., & Carpenter, J. R. (2019) · Pharmaceutical Statistics · doi:10.1002/pst.1954 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Leurent, B., Gomes, M., Cro, S., Wiles, N., & Carpenter, J. R. (2019) · Health Economics · doi:10.1002/hec.3963 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Mukherjee, K., Gunsoy, N. B., Kristy, R. M., Cappelleri, J. C., Roydhouse, J. K., Stephenson, J. J., Vanness, D. J., Ramachandran, S., Onwudiwe, N. C., Pentakota, S. R., et al. (2023) · PharmacoEconomics · doi:10.1007/s40273-023-01297-0 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Gunnarsson, A. B., Wagman, P., Hedin, K., & Håkansson, C. (2018) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-018-0237-0 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Cox, M., O’Connor, C. A., Biggs, K., Hind, D., Bortolami, O., Franklin, M. K., Collins, B., Walters, S. J., Wailoo, A., Channell, J., et al. (2018) · Health Technology Assessment · doi:10.3310/hta22110 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Unger, J., Chan, K., Lee, J. W., Craven, B. C., Mansfield, A., Alavinia, M., Masani, K., & Musselman, K. E. (2021) · Frontiers in Neurology · doi:10.3389/fneur.2021.620367 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Zeibig, J., Seiffer, B., Sudeck, G., Rösel, I., Hautzinger, M., & Wolf, S. (2021) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03307-x · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Unger, J., Chan, K., Scovil, C. Y., Craven, B. C., Mansfield, A., Masani, K., & Musselman, K. E. (2018) · Physical Therapy · doi:10.1093/ptj/pzy153 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Gaertner, J., Eychmueller, S., Leyhe, T., Büche, D., Savaskan, E., & Schlögl, M. (2019) · Annals of Palliative Medicine · doi:10.21037/apm.2019.03.06 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Statistical analyses of ordinal outcomes in randomised controlled trials: a scoping review
Selman, C. J., Lee, K. J., Ferguson, K. N., Whitehead, C. L., Manley, B. J., & Mahar, R. K. (2024) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-024-08072-2 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Addressing missing outcome data in randomised controlled trials: A methodological scoping review
Medcalf, E., Turner, R. M., Espinoza, D., He, V., & Bell, K. (2024) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2024.107602 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Kim, K. H., Park, J. W., & Kim, S. J. (2017) · Pain Medicine · doi:10.1093/pm/pnx227 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Comino-Sanz, I. M., López-Franco, M. D., Castro, B., & Pancorbo-Hidalgo, P. L. (2020) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-020-04445-5 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Tavazzi, E., Daberdaku, S., Vasta, R., Calvo, A., Chiò, A., & Camillo, B. D. (2020) · BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making · doi:10.1186/s12911-020-01166-2 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Helm, M., Hossfeld, B., Braun, B., Werner, D., Peter, L., & Kulla, M. (2019) · Anesthesia & Analgesia · doi:10.1213/ane.0000000000004334 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Han, Y. M. Y., Chan, M. M. Y., Shea, C. K., Mo, F. Y. M., Yiu, K. W. K., Chung, R. C. K., Cheung, M., & Chan, A. S.-Y. (2023) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613231169547 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Hamzeh, H., Madi, M., Alghwiri, A. A., & Hawamdeh, Z. M. (2020) · Journal of Hand Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.jht.2020.07.005 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Vickerstaff, V., Ambler, G., & Omar, R. Z. (2021) · Biometrical Journal · doi:10.1002/bimj.201900040 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Reeves, P., Edmunds, K., Szewczyk, Z., Grady, A., Yoong, S. L., Wolfenden, L., Wyse, R., Finch, M., Stacey, F. G., Wiggers, J. H., et al. (2021) · Implementation Science · doi:10.1186/s13012-020-01068-x · Cited by 26 · see citing works
The effects of a music intervention during port catheter placement on anxiety and stress
Schaal, N. K., Brückner, J., Wolf, O. T., Ruckhäberle, E., Fehm, T. N., & Hepp, P. G. (2021) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85139-z · Cited by 26 · see citing works
- Authors
- Bell, M. L., Fiero, M., Horton, N. J., & Hsu, C.-H.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- Amherst College (US)
- Corresponding author
- Bell, Melanie L
- Venue
- BMC Medical Research Methodology
- Published
- 2014-11-19
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 118-118
- ISSN
- 1471-2288 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4247714
- OpenAlex
- W2085508623
- Cited by
- 395
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 9
- FWCI
- 17.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Medical Research Methodology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods and Bayesian Inference
- Keywords
- missing data, randomized controlled trials, intention-to-treat analysis, sensitivity analysis, complete case analysis, multiple imputation, missing data handling, reporting practices, medical journals
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Publishing, Research Design, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Treatment Outcome, Intention to Treat Analysis
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review