title: Poor patient-reported outcomes reporting according to CONSORT guidelines in randomized clinical trials evaluating systemic cancer therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidance was extended in 2013 to provide a set of specific recommendations regarding patient-reported outcomes (PROs) reporting in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). There is limited data regarding how well current publications of oncology RCTs report PROs if assessed using these guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  All phase III medical oncology RCTs published between 2007 and 2011 were reviewed according to the 2013 PROs CONSORT recommendations and an 11-point PROs reporting quality score (PRORQS) was defined based on the criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of trials did not report on PROs at all (201 of 325; 62%). Of the remaining 124 trials, the mean PRORQS score was 5.0 on an 11-point scale. The items related to methods of PROs collection and analysis were poorly reported (Description of the prespecified PRO hypothesis: 26% of RCTs; methods for PRO data collection (paper, telephone, electronic, other): 16%; statistical approaches for managing missing data: 37%). The only factor significantly associated with improved PROs reporting was where PROs reporting was the subject of a dedicated secondary manuscript, as was the case in 36 of the 124 (29%) of RCTs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite their clinical relevance, our findings show that some aspects of PROs reporting may greatly be improved, especially critical methodological aspects of PROs collection and analysis. The exceptions were where PROs were described in PROs-specific secondary publication. Use of the 2013 PROs CONSORT extensions should be encouraged and their effects on PROs reporting subsequently reassessed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, Desgenettes Hospital; Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Léon BERARD, University of Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bylicki
authors.affiliation: Joint Austin-Ludwig Oncology Unit, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U1086, Caen; Clinical Research Unit, François Baclesse Center, Caen; Department of Medicine, CHU de Caen, Caen.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Joly
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Lyon-Sud Hospital Center, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pierre-Bénite.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maillet
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Lyon-Sud Hospital Center, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pierre-Bénite; EMR UCBL/HCL 3738, Faculté de Médecine Lyon-Sud, Oullins; Department of Medical Oncology, University of Lyon, Lyon.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Lyon-Sud Hospital Center, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pierre-Bénite; Biostatistics Unit, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon; Biometry and Evolutionary Biology Laboratory, Health and Biostatistics Team, CNRS UMR 5558, Villeurbanne, France. Electronic address: julien.peron@chu-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Péron
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000592:standards; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D057566:Self Report
keywords: patients-reported outcomes; quality of life; randomized clinical trials; reporting quality