Reporting and replicating group-based education interventions for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: are study authors providing complete intervention descriptions?

The complete reporting of all components of complex interventions, such as those utilised in group-based education for the management of type 2 diabetes, is essential to allow intervention replication and the translation of evidence into practice. This study aimed to assess the completeness of reporting of group-based education interventions for the management of type 2 diabetes in published trials using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Data were extracted using the TIDieR checklist to assess the completeness and replicability of reporting of each group-based intervention. Missing intervention details were sourced from other publications or by contacting authors. Fifty-three publications describing 47 studies were included (n = 8,533 participants). Authors of 40 of the 47 included studies (85%) were contacted via email up to three times for missing data. Only three (8%) did not respond. In summary, 87% (46/53) of the studies described the procedures of the intervention, whilst fewer than 50% of studies described whether materials were provided (23/53, 43%), or who delivered the intervention 30% (16/53). The location of the intervention was completely described by only 51% (27/53) studies. Few studies described whether the intervention was delivered as planned (28/53; 53%), whilst 60% (32/53) of studies described any intervention modifications. Group-based education interventions for the management of type 2 diabetes are poorly reported and often incomplete. Future group-based intervention studies should design and publish their results using the TIDieR checklist in order to ensure the completeness of reporting and replicability of interventions.