Pd30-02 assessing "spin" in urology randomized controlled trials with statistically non-significant primary outcomes

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023PD30-02 ASSESSING "SPIN" IN UROLOGY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH STATISTICALLY NON-SIGNIFICANT PRIMARY OUTCOMES Jeremy Wu, Wilson Ho, Laurence Klotz, Morgan Yuan, Jason Lee, and Yonah Krakowsky Jeremy WuJeremy Wu More articles by this author , Wilson HoWilson Ho More articles by this author , Laurence KlotzLaurence Klotz More articles by this author , Morgan YuanMorgan Yuan More articles by this author , Jason LeeJason Lee More articles by this author , and Yonah KrakowskyYonah Krakowsky More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003316.02AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: "Spin" refers to a form of language manipulation that positively reflects negative findings or downplays potential harms. Spin has been reported in randomized controlled trials of other surgical specialties, which can lead to the recommendation of subpar or ineffective treatments. The goal of this study was to characterize spin strategies and severity in statistically non-significant urology randomized controlled trials. METHODS: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE and Embase for the top five urology journals, major urology subspecialty journals, and high-impact non-urology journals from 2019 to 2021 was conducted. Statistically non-significant randomized controlled trials with a defined primary outcome were included. Screening, data extraction, and spin assessment were performed in duplicate by two independent reviewers. RESULTS: From the database search of 3497 studies, 46 trials were included for analysis. Spin was identified in 35 studies (76%), with the majority of abstracts (n=26, 57%) and main texts (n=35, 76%) containing some level of spin. Obscuring the statistical non-significance of the primary outcome and focusing on statistically significant secondary results was the most frequently used strategy in abstracts, while “other” strategies not previously defined, specifically Emphasis of trends despite non-significant results, were the most commonly used strategies in main texts. Table 1 provides an example, rationale, and implication of each spin strategy. Moderate or high spin severity was identified in 21 (46%) abstract and 22 (48%) main text conclusions. Examples for each severity of spin level and rationale for that rating can be found in Table 2. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results suggest that 76% of statistically non-significant urology randomized controlled trials contained some level of spin. Readers and writers should be aware of common spin strategies when interpreting non-significant results and critically appraise the significance of results when making decisions for clinical practice. Source of Funding: None © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e830 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Jeremy Wu More articles by this author Wilson Ho More articles by this author Laurence Klotz More articles by this author Morgan Yuan More articles by this author Jason Lee More articles by this author Yonah Krakowsky More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...