title: Guidelines for designing and reporting clinical trials in vitiligo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To create guidelines for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating interventions used in the management of vitiligo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Guideline developers included authors (clinicians, patient representatives, and a statistician) of the Cochrane systematic review "Interventions for Vitiligo" plus the coordinator of the vitiligo priority-setting partnership at the Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology at the University of Nottingham.
  
  
  METHODS
  The guidelines are based on the assessment of the quality of design and reporting of RCTs evaluating interventions for vitiligo included in the 2010 update of the Cochrane systematic review "Interventions for Vitiligo."
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed and commented on the sources of bias in existing RCTs on interventions for vitiligo (selection bias, blinding assessment, attrition bias, characteristics of participants, interventions, and outcomes) based on the findings of the Cochrane review, and we used open discussion on guideline drafts focusing on the study question (participants, interventions, and outcomes), study design (research methods), and reporting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Much opportunity exists for improving the design and reporting of vitiligo clinical trials. The proposed guidelines will help overcome methodologic challenges faced when conducting RCTs to answer treatment questions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Research Unit for Evidence-Based Dermatology, Hospital Plató, Barcelona, Spain. 24998ugc@comb.cat
authors.forename: Urbà
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Maxine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whitton
authors.forename: Viktoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eleftheriadou
authors.forename: Mariona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pinart
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Batchelor
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leonardi-Bee
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012107:Research Design; D015983:Selection Bias; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000628:therapy*