title: Under-reporting of socioeconomic status of patients in stroke trials: adherence to CONSORT principles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The 2001 Revised Consolidated Standards of Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) statement requires reporting of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) to include participants' baseline demographics. This enables comparison of intervention and control groups on potential confounding variables as well as assessment of study generalizability. Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with access to care and outcomes (mortality, functional outcome, recurrent stroke, and hospital readmission) poststroke. We aimed to document the reporting of baseline SES in reports of RCTs of stroke and transient ischemic attack.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures of SES were extracted from studies reporting trials of stroke or transient ischemic attack published in 12 major journals in the disciplines of general medicine, general neurology, cerebrovascular disease, and rehabilitation subsequent to revised CONSORT. Percentages of studies reporting SES measures were calculated. Differences in reporting between journal categories, and temporal trends in reporting, were tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 12% of studies reported any SES measure. Journal categories did not differ in rate of SES reporting. SES reporting did not increase over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improving reporting of SES could enhance clinicians' ability to evaluate RCT findings and apply them to their patients.
authors.affiliation: From the Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health Research (C.L.), Discipline of General Practice, School of Medicine and Public Health (P.M., A.V.), University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Discipline of General Practice, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (X.M.Z, M.v.D.); Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (J.F., M.P.); Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (D.L.); and General Practice Training Valley to Coast, New South Wales, Australia (P.M., A.V., A.T.).
authors.forename: Parker
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magin
authors.forename: Anousha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Victoire
authors.forename: Xi May
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Furler
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirotta
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lasserson
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tapley
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Driel
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: ischemic attack, transient; randomized controlled trials; socioeconomic factors; stroke
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