[Clinical research publication by Spanish dermatologists over time and in comparison with other research groups in...

Clinical research is the form of research nearest to clinical practice.

For the years 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008, we identified all indexed articles published by Spanish dermatologists and calculated the percentages corresponding to clinical research according to a previously validated definition; we then calculated the proportion of clinical research articles offering higher levels of evidence. For 2008, we compared these percentages to those of French and British dermatologists and Spanish rheumatologists. We also compared these groups' rates of productivity in 2008 in relation to articles providing higher levels of evidence.

In 2008, 36% of Spanish dermatologists' publications reported clinical research; 7% were studies offering higher levels of evidence. The proportions did not change significantly over the period studied. Clinical research publications accounted for 35% and 43% of the articles by French and British dermatologists in 2008 and 54% of articles by Spanish rheumatologists in that year. The proportion of publications reporting clinical research was significantly higher for Spanish rheumatologists than for Spanish dermatologists. The proportions of publications offering higher levels of evidence were significantly different in 2008 only for the comparison between Spanish dermatologists and rheumatologists. Other differences were not statistically significant. In the comparison of rates of productivity in clinical research offering higher levels of evidence, British dermatologists were significantly more productive than Spanish dermatologists.

Differences were observed in relation to specialty (Spanish dermatologists vs rheumatologists) and nationality (Spanish vs British dermatologists). The reasons for the differences identified need to be studied in order to improve this situation.