title: What's in a name? The challenge of describing interventions in systematic reviews: analysis of a random sample of reviews of non-pharmacological stroke interventions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess, in a sample of systematic reviews of non-pharmacological interventions, the completeness of intervention reporting, identify the most frequently missing elements, and assess review authors' use of and beliefs about providing intervention information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of a random sample of systematic reviews of non-pharmacological stroke interventions; online survey of review authors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Cochrane Library and PubMed were searched for potentially eligible systematic reviews and a random sample of these assessed for eligibility until 60 (30 Cochrane, 30 non-Cochrane) eligible reviews were identified.
  
  
  METHODS
  In each review, the completeness of the intervention description in each eligible trial (n=568) was assessed by 2 independent raters using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. All review authors (n=46) were invited to complete a survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most reviews were missing intervention information for the majority of items. The most incompletely described items were: modifications, fidelity, materials, procedure and tailoring (missing from all interventions in 97%, 90%, 88%, 83% and 83% of reviews, respectively). Items that scored better, but were still incomplete for the majority of reviews, were: 'when and how much' (in 31% of reviews, adequate for all trials; in 57% of reviews, adequate for some trials); intervention mode (in 22% of reviews, adequate for all trials; in 38%, adequate for some trials); and location (in 19% of reviews, adequate for all trials). Of the 33 (71%) authors who responded, 58% reported having further intervention information but not including it, and 70% tried to obtain information.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most focus on intervention reporting has been directed at trials. Poor intervention reporting in stroke systematic reviews is prevalent, compounded by poor trial reporting. Without adequate intervention descriptions, the conduct, usability and interpretation of reviews are restricted and therefore, require action by trialists, systematic reviewers, peer reviewers and editors.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Tammy C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Marion F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langhorne
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eames
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glasziou
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009275:Names; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*