Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
4 years ago

Misclassification of Study Designs in the Dermatology Literature

The appropriate classification of study designs is important for review and assessment of the relevant scientific literature as a basis for decision-making. However, little is known about whether study designs have been appropriately reported in the dermatology literature. Objective We aimed to validate the study designs in the dermatology literature and investigate discrepancies between author-reported and actual study designs. Methods We reviewed all issues of three major dermatology journals from January to December 2016. A total of 295 original articles investigating associations between exposures and health outcomes were included for analysis. We used a validated algorithm to classify the study designs. Results Among the 295 articles, 174 (59.0%) clearly mentioned the study design in the text. All interventional studies were correctly classified based on the study design (n=42); however, 35 (26.5%) of 132 observational studies showed discrepancies between the author-reported and the actual study design. When the author-reported design was a prospective cohort, retrospective cohort, or case-control study (n=61), approximately half these studies were misclassified by the authors (n=30). Limitations We analyzed only three journals in the dermatology field. Conclusions Our findings revealed substantial discrepancies between author-reported and actual study designs in the dermatologic literature, particularly among observational studies.

Publisher URL: www.sciencedirect.com/science

DOI: S0190962217326154

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