Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27769265›Full record

SynthesisBMC research notes2016

Clinical trials registries are underused in the pregnancy and childbirth literature: a systematic review of the top 20 journals.

Vadim V Yerokhin, Branden K Carr, Guy Sneed, Matt Vassar

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC research notes, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Vadim V YerokhinOklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, 1111 W. 17th St., Tulsa, OK, 74107, USA. vadimyerokhin@gmail.com.
Branden K CarrOklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, 1111 W. 17th St., Tulsa, OK, 74107, USA.
Guy SneedSt. John Clinic Administration, 1923 S. Utica, Davis Tower, ste 400, Tulsa, OK, USA.
Matt VassarOklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, 1111 W. 17th St., Tulsa, OK, 74107, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSystematic reviews and meta-analyses that do not include unpublished data in their analyses may be prone to publication bias, which in some cases has been shown to have deleterious consequences on determining the efficacy of interventions.

methodsWe retrieved systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in the past 8 years (January 1, 2007-December 31, 2015) from the top 20 journals in the Pregnancy and Childbirth literature, as rated by Google Scholar's h5-index. A meta-epidemiologic analysis was performed to determine the frequency with which authors searched clinical trials registries for unpublished data.

resultsA PubMed search retrieved 372 citations, 297 of which were deemed to be either a systematic review or a meta-analysis and were included for analysis. Twelve (4 %) of these searched at least one WHO-approved clinical trials registry or clinicaltrials.gov.

conclusionSystematic reviews and meta-analyses published in pregnancy and childbirth journals do not routinely report searches of clinical trials registries. Including these registries in systematic reviews may be a promising avenue to limit publication bias if registry searches locate unpublished trial data that could be used in the systematic review.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicRegistriesFemaleHumansPregnancyClinical trials registriesObstetricsPregnancy and childbirthPublication biasSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID27769265
PMCPMC5073738

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.