Overview of Reviews Using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) as a Measure of Trial Intervention Reporting Quality

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the quality of descriptions of interventions in health care research reports, based on a synthesis of reviews that used the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) to rate the completeness and quality of intervention reporting.

Design: Overview of published reviews. In a systematic search of the literature, 56 review articles were retrieved that had evaluated 3454 primary studies (index articles) using all or most of the 12 TIDieR items, applied to experimental treatment only or treatment and comparator both, separately. If available, percentages "reported completely" were extracted based on the index article, the index article supplemented by related information, and these 2 supplemented by e-mailing the author. Information on the review's methodology was also extracted.

Setting: Not applicable.

Participants: Not applicable.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: Percentage of primary studies receiving "adequately reported" ratings on each of the 12 TIDieR items.

Results: While for treatment arms TIDieR items 1 (name of treatment) and 2 (why of treatment) are generally judged to be reported adequately, the percentage is between 25% and 75% for most other items and is as low as 10% for item 10 (modifications). Comparators are reported even more poorly. Use of additional publications on a trial increased percentages "reported adequately" marginally; e-mailing resulted in significant increases in completeness of reporting. Rehabilitation trials were reported better than nonrehabilitation trials for some TIDieR items and worse for others.

Conclusions: Reporting on the interventions and comparators of trials is substandard. More extensive use of supplemental digital content and of versions of TIDieR customized for specific domains of research may improve the situation.

Keywords: Clinical trial; Rehabilitation; Research design; Research report; Systematic review.