Nondrug interventions for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission are frequently incompletely reported

Sharon Sanders; Elizabeth Gibson; Paul Glasziou; Tammy Hoffmann

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.02.006

Nondrug interventions for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission are frequently incompletely reported

Sharon Sanders, Elizabeth Gibson, Paul Glasziou, Tammy Hoffmann

Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › Research › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

44 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the completeness of reporting of behavioural, environmental, social and system interventions (BESSI) for reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 evaluated in randomised trials, to obtain missing intervention details and to document the interventions assessed.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We assessed completeness of reporting in randomised trials of BESSI using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Investigators were contacted to provide missing intervention details and if provided, intervention descriptions were reassessed and documented according to the TIDieR items.

RESULTS: Forty-five trials (planned or complete) describing 21 educational interventions, 15 protective measures and 9 social distancing interventions were included. In 30 trials with a protocol or study report, 30% (9/30) of interventions were completely described; this increased to 53% (16/30) after contacting 24 trial investigators (11 responded). Across all interventions, intervention provider training (35%) was the most frequently incompletely described checklist item, followed by the 'when and how much' intervention item.

CONCLUSION: Incomplete reporting of BESSI is a substantial problem, with essential information necessary for implementation of interventions and for building on existing knowledge frequently missing and unable to be obtained. Such reporting is an avoidable source of research waste.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	102-109
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume	157
Early online date	2 Mar 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.02.006
Publication status	Published - May 2023

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.02.006Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S0895435623000276-mainFinal published version, 548 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{f5b9dfb3808048f6a77d4b300c582b77,

title = "Nondrug interventions for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission are frequently incompletely reported",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: To investigate the completeness of reporting of behavioural, environmental, social and system interventions (BESSI) for reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 evaluated in randomised trials, to obtain missing intervention details and to document the interventions assessed.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We assessed completeness of reporting in randomised trials of BESSI using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Investigators were contacted to provide missing intervention details and if provided, intervention descriptions were reassessed and documented according to the TIDieR items.RESULTS: Forty-five trials (planned or complete) describing 21 educational interventions, 15 protective measures and 9 social distancing interventions were included. In 30 trials with a protocol or study report, 30% (9/30) of interventions were completely described; this increased to 53% (16/30) after contacting 24 trial investigators (11 responded). Across all interventions, intervention provider training (35%) was the most frequently incompletely described checklist item, followed by the 'when and how much' intervention item.CONCLUSION: Incomplete reporting of BESSI is a substantial problem, with essential information necessary for implementation of interventions and for building on existing knowledge frequently missing and unable to be obtained. Such reporting is an avoidable source of research waste.",

author = "Sharon Sanders and Elizabeth Gibson and Paul Glasziou and Tammy Hoffmann",

note = "Copyright {\textcopyright} 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc. Funding Information: Paul Glasziou and Sharon Sanders reports financial support was provided by National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant. The funding body had no role in any aspect of the study. Tammy Hoffmann and Paul Glasziou are authors of the TIDieR reporting guideline used in this paper to assess the completeness of intervention reporting. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors",

year = "2023",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.02.006",

language = "English",

volume = "157",

pages = "102--109",

journal = "Journal of Clinical Epidemiology",

issn = "0895-4356",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nondrug interventions for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission are frequently incompletely reported

AU - Sanders, Sharon

AU - Gibson, Elizabeth

AU - Glasziou, Paul

AU - Hoffmann, Tammy

N1 - Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc. Funding Information: Paul Glasziou and Sharon Sanders reports financial support was provided by National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant. The funding body had no role in any aspect of the study. Tammy Hoffmann and Paul Glasziou are authors of the TIDieR reporting guideline used in this paper to assess the completeness of intervention reporting. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023/5

Y1 - 2023/5

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the completeness of reporting of behavioural, environmental, social and system interventions (BESSI) for reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 evaluated in randomised trials, to obtain missing intervention details and to document the interventions assessed.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We assessed completeness of reporting in randomised trials of BESSI using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Investigators were contacted to provide missing intervention details and if provided, intervention descriptions were reassessed and documented according to the TIDieR items.RESULTS: Forty-five trials (planned or complete) describing 21 educational interventions, 15 protective measures and 9 social distancing interventions were included. In 30 trials with a protocol or study report, 30% (9/30) of interventions were completely described; this increased to 53% (16/30) after contacting 24 trial investigators (11 responded). Across all interventions, intervention provider training (35%) was the most frequently incompletely described checklist item, followed by the 'when and how much' intervention item.CONCLUSION: Incomplete reporting of BESSI is a substantial problem, with essential information necessary for implementation of interventions and for building on existing knowledge frequently missing and unable to be obtained. Such reporting is an avoidable source of research waste.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the completeness of reporting of behavioural, environmental, social and system interventions (BESSI) for reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 evaluated in randomised trials, to obtain missing intervention details and to document the interventions assessed.STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We assessed completeness of reporting in randomised trials of BESSI using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Investigators were contacted to provide missing intervention details and if provided, intervention descriptions were reassessed and documented according to the TIDieR items.RESULTS: Forty-five trials (planned or complete) describing 21 educational interventions, 15 protective measures and 9 social distancing interventions were included. In 30 trials with a protocol or study report, 30% (9/30) of interventions were completely described; this increased to 53% (16/30) after contacting 24 trial investigators (11 responded). Across all interventions, intervention provider training (35%) was the most frequently incompletely described checklist item, followed by the 'when and how much' intervention item.CONCLUSION: Incomplete reporting of BESSI is a substantial problem, with essential information necessary for implementation of interventions and for building on existing knowledge frequently missing and unable to be obtained. Such reporting is an avoidable source of research waste.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151498927&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.02.006

DO - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.02.006

M3 - Review article

C2 - 36870377

SN - 0895-4356

VL - 157

SP - 102

EP - 109

JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

ER -

Nondrug interventions for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission are frequently incompletely reported

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this