Is the quality of systematic reviews influenced by prospective registration: a methods review of systematic musculoskeletal physical therapy reviews

ABSTRACT

Introduction

It is unknown if verified prospective registration of systematic reviews (SRs) and the randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that they use affect an SR’s methodological quality on A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2).

Methods

Data originated from interventional SRs published in International Society of Physiotherapy Journals Editors (ISPJE) member journals, indexed in MEDLINE, between 1 January 2018 and 18 August 2021. Blinded reviewers identified the SRs and extracted the data for the variables of interest for the SRs and the RCTs.

Results

Two of 14 ISPJE member journals required prospective SR registration. Twenty SRs were identified, and 169 unique, retrievable RCTs were included within those SRs. One (5.0%) of the 20 SRs and 15 of the 169 (8.9%) RCTs were prospectively registered and published consistent with this intent. Nineteen (95.0%) of the 20 identified SRs was categorized as ‘critically low’ on the AMSTAR 2.

Discussion

SRs and the RCTs identified within them were infrequently prospectively registered, prospectively verifiable, or prospectively verified based on the established research record.

Conclusions

Ensuring that SRs and RCTs have fidelity with the research record from conception to publication may help rule out low-value interventions, decrease variability in physical therapy practice, and solidify evidence-based physical therapy practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Publishing
• randomized controlled trials
• registries
• systematic reviews

Acknowledgments

We thank Nick Wharton, MLIS, of the University of Hartford, for his help in developing the search strategy used to identify the systematic reviews that met the inclusion criteria for this study.

Disclosure statement

Sean Riley is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy (JMMT). He and his co-author Brian Swanson were identified as authors of one of the randomized clinical trials (RCT) included in one of the Systematic Reviews. This RCT, ‘Short-term effects of thoracic spinal manipulations and message conveyed by clinicians to patients with musculoskeletal shoulder symptoms: a randomized clinical trial,’ was published in JMMT in 2015. This study was registered during data collection on 30 November 2012, and was a retrospectively registered clinical trial.

Statement of IRB approval

This study was determined to be exempt by the Institutional Review Board (IRB# 22-04-044) of the University of Hartford.

Additional information

Funding

No grant funding was received for this study.