Which reporting guideline is specifically designed for randomized controlled trials?

Which reporting guideline is specifically designed for randomized controlled trials?

• A. CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials).
• B. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses).
• C. STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology).
• D. QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies).

Answer: (A)

Guidelines for randomized trials focus on clear, complete reporting of how the trial was planned and conducted, including how participants were randomized, how allocation was concealed, what interventions were compared, how outcomes were defined and measured, and how data were analyzed. The guideline designed specifically for randomized controlled trials is CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials). It provides a comprehensive checklist and a flow diagram to guide authors in reporting key aspects such as trial design, participant enrollment, allocation, blinding, sample size, adherence to interventions, outcome measures, results, harms, and interpretation. Using this framework helps readers judge validity, replicate the study, and assess applicability of the results. The other options serve different study designs: PRISMA is for systematic reviews and meta-analyses; STROBE covers observational studies; QUADAS-2 focuses on diagnostic accuracy studies. Therefore, for randomized trials, CONSORT is the best match.

Guidelines for randomized trials focus on clear, complete reporting of how the trial was planned and conducted, including how participants were randomized, how allocation was concealed, what interventions were compared, how outcomes were defined and measured, and how data were analyzed. The guideline designed specifically for randomized controlled trials is CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials). It provides a comprehensive checklist and a flow diagram to guide authors in reporting key aspects such as trial design, participant enrollment, allocation, blinding, sample size, adherence to interventions, outcome measures, results, harms, and interpretation. Using this framework helps readers judge validity, replicate the study, and assess applicability of the results. The other options serve different study designs: PRISMA is for systematic reviews and meta-analyses; STROBE covers observational studies; QUADAS-2 focuses on diagnostic accuracy studies. Therefore, for randomized trials, CONSORT is the best match.