Articles: checklist.
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In patients presenting with possible rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which diagnostic test can provide an accurate diagnosis during the physical examination? ⋯ Based on predictive value statistics, it can be concluded that during the physical examination, a positive result for the pivot shift test is the best for ruling in an ACL rupture, whereas a negative result to the Lachman test is the best for ruling out an ACL rupture. It can also be concluded that, solely using sensitivity and specificity values, the Lachman test is a better overall test at both ruling in and ruling out ACL ruptures. The anterior drawer test appears to be inconclusive for drawing strong conclusions either way.
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Nonrandomized intervention trials are needed when randomized clinical trials cannot be performed. To report the results from nonrandomized intervention studies transparently, the TREND (Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs) checklist should be used. This implies that nonrandomized studies should follow the remaining methodological tools usually employed in randomized trials and that the uncertainty introduced by the allocation mechanism should be explicitly reported and, if possible, quantified.
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With the publication of the CONSORT statement there is now increased awareness of the need to adequately report the findings of randomised controlled trials. The CONSORT statement includes a checklist of items that should be addressed in the trial report. ⋯ The process of allocating groups of participants raises additional reporting considerations and led to the publication of an extension to the CONSORT statement specifically for cluster randomised trials. In this paper we review the CONSORT extension to cluster randomised trials, outlining the special features of the cluster randomised trial which must be considered.
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It has been repeatedly shown that the information supplied in publications of clinical trials is frequently insufficient or inaccurate and that some methodologic problems are associated with exaggerated estimates of the effect of healthcare interventions. To improve the quality of reports of clinical trials, a group of scientists and editors developed the CONSORT statement (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials), a 22-item checklist (plus flow diagram), that can be used by authors, editors, reviewers, and readers. ⋯ This article presents the Spanish translation of the two elements integrating the revised CONSORT, the flow diagram and the 22-item checklist, and provides a short comment on each of them. Previous publications of the CONSORT statement and other useful resources such as examples of what are considered good communications may be obtained from the CONSORT web site (http://www.consort-statement.org).
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The increase in the number of published systematic reviews and meta-analyses over the last few years has highlighted the need to establish guidelines for their publication, in order to facilitate their interpretation and use. The Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses Conference, which took place in 1996, resulted in the QUOROM statement, consisting of a checklist and flow diagram. ⋯ The flow diagram of randomized clinical trials (RCT) helps to provide information about the number of RCTs identified, included and excluded in the meta-analysis and the reasons for excluding them. Both tools provide standards for improving the quality of reporting of meta-analyses to make them rigorous, useful and reliable.