Systematic scoping review of cluster randomised trials conducted exclusively in low-income and middle-income countries between 2017 and 2022.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Cluster randomised trials (CRTs) are used for evaluating health-related interventions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) but raise complex ethical issues. To inform the development of future ethics guidance, we aim to characterise CRTs conducted exclusively in LMICs by examining the types of clusters, settings, author affiliations and primary clinical focus and to evaluate adherence to trial registration and ethics reporting requirements over time.

Design

A systematic scoping review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews.

Data sources

We searched MEDLINE between 1 January 2017 and 17 August 2022.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

We included primary reports of C

SUBMITTER: Goldstein CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11409340 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature