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Incomplete reporting and spin in acupuncture randomised controlled trials: a cross-sectional meta-epidemiological
Yuting Duan1,2,3, Pinge Zhao4, Yuening Deng5,2
1Evidence Based Medicine Center, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China duanyt@gzhmu.edu.cn yul@gzhmu.edu.cn.
BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine
|April 3, 2025
Summary
Reporting and data sharing in acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were found to be poor, with frequent use of spin to emphasize non-significant results. Journal policies could improve these reporting standards.
Area of Science:
- Integrative and Complementary Medicine
- Clinical Trial Methodology
- Evidence-Based Healthcare
Background:
- Acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are crucial for evaluating treatment efficacy.
- Ensuring high standards in reporting, data sharing, and unbiased interpretation of results is essential for reliable evidence.
- Previous assessments of reporting quality in medical RCTs highlight variability and areas for improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reporting quality of acupuncture RCTs based on CONSORT and STRICTA guidelines.
- To assess the extent of data sharing practices in acupuncture RCTs according to ICMJE guidelines.
- To identify the frequency and level of "spin" used in reporting acupuncture RCTs, particularly for non-significant findings.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional meta-epidemiological study design was employed.
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, etc.) for studies published between January 2014 and May 2024.
- 476 peer-reviewed acupuncture RCTs using traditional medicine, with two parallel arms in humans, were assessed for reporting adherence, data sharing statements, and spin strategies.
Main Results:
- A significant proportion of the 476 evaluated acupuncture RCTs (65.5%) were poorly reported, with many items on the CONSORT and STRICTA checklists scoring below 50%.
- Data sharing compliance was low, with only 17.2% adhering to ICMJE guidelines, and a mere 1.5% providing open access data.
- Spin was prevalent, identified in 85.7% of studies, with 37.2% of those with non-significant primary outcomes exhibiting spin.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture RCTs demonstrate low compliance with established reporting guidelines (CONSORT, STRICTA) and data sharing policies (ICMJE).
- The frequent use of spin in reporting non-significant results raises concerns about the unbiased presentation of evidence.
- Implementing stricter journal policies on reporting guidelines, data sharing, and balanced reporting of results is recommended to enhance the quality of acupuncture RCTs.
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