How are risk ratios reported in orthopaedic surgery journals? A descriptive study of formats used to report absolute risks.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The numerical format in which risks are communicated can affect risk comprehension and perceptions of medical professionals. We investigated what numerical formats are used to report absolute risks in empirical articles, estimated the frequency of biasing formats and rated the quality of figures used to display the risks.

Design

Descriptive study of reporting practices.

Method

We randomly sampled articles published in seven leading orthopaedic surgery journals during a period of 13 years. From these, we selected articles that reported group comparisons on a binary outcome (eg, revision rates in two groups) and recorded the numerical format used to communicate the absolute risks in the results section. The quality of figures was assessed according to published

SUBMITTER: Petrova D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6254491 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature