title: An interrupted time series analysis showed suboptimal improvement in reporting quality of trial abstract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess and compare the immediate and long-term change in reporting quality of randomized controlled trial (RCT) abstracts published in Pediatrics, The Journal of Pediatrics, and JAMA Pediatrics before and after the publication of Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trial (CONSORT)-abstract statement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study had "Interrupted time-series" design. Eligible RCT abstracts were retrieved by PubMed search in two study periods from January 2003 to December 2007 (pre-CONSORT) and January 2010 to December 2014 (post-CONSORT). These abstracts were matched with the CONSORT checklist for abstracts. The primary outcome measure was CONSORT-abstract score defined as number of CONSORT items correctly reported divided by 18 and expressed as percentage. The mean percentage scores were used to compare reporting quality between pre- and post-CONSORT using segmented linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 424 RCT abstracts in pre-CONSORT and 467 in post-CONSORT were analyzed. A significant change in slope of regression line between two time periods (0.151 [confidence interval CI, 0.004-0.298], P = 0.044) was observed. Intercepts did not show a significant difference (-2.39 [CI, 4.93-0.157], P = 0.065).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall reporting quality of RCT abstracts in the high-impact pediatrics journals was suboptimal (<50%); however, it improved when assessed over a 5-year period, implying slow but gradual adoption of guideline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Bangla Sahib Road, New Delhi 110001, India. Electronic address: viswaschhapola@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Viswas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chhapola
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Bangla Sahib Road, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: Soumya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tiwari
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ESI PGIMER, Basai Darapur, New Delhi 110015, India.
authors.forename: Rekha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Bangla Sahib Road, New Delhi 110001, India.
authors.forename: Sandeep Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kanwal
mesh_terms: D000043:Abstracting and Indexing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D065186:Interrupted Time Series Analysis / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010372:Pediatrics; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D011786:Quality Control; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D058028:Research Report / Q000592:standards*; D012955:Societies, Medical
keywords: CONSORT extension for abstracts; CONSORT statement; Interrupted time series; Quasi-experimental design; Randomized controlled trials; Segmented linear regression