Title |
Promoting public access to clinical trial protocols: challenges and recommendations
|
---|---|
Published in |
Trials, February 2018
|
DOI | 10.1186/s13063-018-2510-1 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
An-Wen Chan, Asbjørn Hróbjartsson |
Abstract |
Recognizing the value of promoting public access to clinical trial protocols, Trials pioneered the way for their publication over a decade ago. However, despite major advances in the public accessibility of information about trial methods and results, protocol sharing remains relatively rare. Protocol sharing facilitates the critical appraisal of clinical trials and helps to identify and deter the selective reporting of outcomes and analyses. Challenges to the routine availability of high quality trial protocols include the gaps in incentives and adherence mechanisms, limited venues for sharing the original and final protocol versions, and the need for mechanisms to ensure transparent and complete protocol content. We propose recommendations for addressing key challenges to protocol sharing in order to promote routine public access to protocols for the benefit of patients and other users of evidence from clinical trials. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 8 | 18% |
France | 3 | 7% |
United States | 2 | 5% |
Chile | 2 | 5% |
Australia | 2 | 5% |
Canada | 2 | 5% |
Germany | 1 | 2% |
Brazil | 1 | 2% |
Denmark | 1 | 2% |
Other | 3 | 7% |
Unknown | 19 | 43% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 24 | 55% |
Scientists | 14 | 32% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 5 | 11% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 2% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 48 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 7 | 15% |
Student > Master | 6 | 13% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 4 | 8% |
Researcher | 4 | 8% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 4 | 8% |
Other | 7 | 15% |
Unknown | 16 | 33% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 9 | 19% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 5 | 10% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 5 | 10% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 3 | 6% |
Computer Science | 3 | 6% |
Other | 11 | 23% |
Unknown | 12 | 25% |