title: Critical appraisal of scientific posters comparing anemia treatments for cancer patients: applying ISPOR Task Force guidelines on methodological quality of retrospective studies.
abstract: Two independent reviewers used the methodological criteria published by the ISPOR Task Force on Retrospective Data to assess the quality of four posters presenting the results of retrospective database studies on the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (epoetin alfa, epoetin beta, or darbepoetin alfa) for treating patients with cancer. A third reviewer consolidated the results. Overall, from the information reported in the four posters, their methodological quality ranged from poor to very poor; only a few of the criteria were satisfactorily addressed. The quality of the data sources and the research design received very poor scores. Key elements such as selection bias were not considered. These findings caution against the use of posters without appropriate assessment of their methodological quality. The ISPOR guidelines for the evaluation of retrospective analyses are a useful tool for assessing the quality of scientific posters.
authors.affiliation: IMS Health, Brussels, Belgium. ndemarteau@be.imshealth.com
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Demarteau
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moeremans
authors.forename: Lieven
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Annemans
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000592:standards*; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D000068817:Epoetin Alfa; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006397:Hematinics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C103998:epoetin beta; D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D000068817:Epoetin Alfa