Meta-epidemiological review identified variable reporting and handling of time-to-event analyses in publications of trials included in meta-analyses of systematic reviews.
Meta-analysis
Randomized trials
Reporting quality
Survival analysis
Systematic review
Time-to-event outcomes
Journal
Journal of clinical epidemiology
ISSN: 1878-5921
Titre abrégé: J Clin Epidemiol
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 8801383
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
07 2023
07 2023
Historique:
received:
07
04
2023
revised:
17
05
2023
accepted:
25
05
2023
medline:
4
9
2023
pubmed:
2
6
2023
entrez:
1
6
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Previous findings indicate limited reporting of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of time-to-event (TTE) outcomes. We assessed corresponding available information in trial publications included in such meta-analyses. We extracted data from all randomized trials in pairwise, hazard ratio (HR)-based meta-analyses of primary outcomes and overall survival of 50 systematic reviews systematically identified from the Cochrane Database and Core Clinical Journals. Data on methods and characteristics relevant for TTE analysis of reviews, trials, and outcomes were extracted. Meta-analyses included 235 trials with 315 trial analyses. Most prominently assessed was overall survival (91%). Definitions (61%), censoring reasons (41%), and follow-up specifications (56%) for trial outcomes were often missing. Available TTE data per trial were most frequently survival curves (83%), log-rank P values (76%), and HRs (72%). When trial TTE data recalculation was reported, reviews mostly specified HRs or P values (each 5%). Reviews primarily included intention-to-treat analyses (64%) and analyses not adjusted for covariates (25%). Except for missing outcome data, TTE-relevant trial characteristics, for example, informative censoring, treatment switching, and proportional hazards, were sporadically addressed in trial publications. Reporting limitations in trial publications translate to the review level. TTE (meta)-analyses, in trial and review publications, need clear reporting standards.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37263516
pii: S0895-4356(23)00136-1
doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.05.023
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
174-189Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest One included non-Cochrane review was co-authored by a project participant (L.G.H.), who did not appraise data or resolve conflicts for these reviews. All other authors declare no relevant conflicts of interest.