Timeliness of publication of randomized controlled trials in rheumatology: A systematic review
Authors' conclusion
Most of the delays in publication were attributable to delays in submission to journals after trial completion.
Study context
- Population
- Phase 3, superiority, parallel-design randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of any treatment for a rheumatologic illness or a rheumatologic treatment for COVID-19 reporting a clinical primary efficacy outcome, searched January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2023
- Participants
- 448 RCTs
- Comparison
- RCTs on COVID-19 vs RCTs on rheumatologic diseases; RCTs completed after vs before March 1, 2020
- Outcome
- Time from completion to publication; publication within 2 years
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Median time from completion to publication (days)
549
RCTs published within 2 years of completion
65.9 %
Further pooled results
| Outcome | aOR (published within 2 years) (95 % CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to publication (days) and publication within 2 years, COVID-19 vs rheumatologic disease RCTsCOVID-19 RCTsvs Rheumatologic disease RCTs | 9.49 (2.07–43.61) | |
| Time to publication (days) and publication within 2 years, RCTs completed aftervs before March 1, 2020 | 9.40 (5.14–17.21) | |
| 0.050.21520Adjusted odds ratio (published within 2 years) (log scale) |
Days
| Outcome | RCTs on COVID-19 | RCTs completed after March 1, 2020 | RCTs completed before March 1, 2020 | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to publication (days) and publication within 2 years, COVID-19 vs rheumatologic disease RCTsCOVID-19 RCTs vs Rheumatologic disease RCTs · published sooner | 253 | — not stated in the abstract | — not stated in the abstract | P < 0.001 |
| Time to publication (days) and publication within 2 years, RCTs completed after vs before March 1, 2020Published sooner | — not stated in the abstract | 327 | 724 | P < 0.001 |
— not stated in the abstract
- Time to publication (days) and publication within 2 years, COVID-19 vs rheumatologic disease RCTs: Rheumatologic disease RCTs 549 days
Share of time to publication accounted for by time from completion to submission
- Time from completion to submission, share of time to publication
- 67 %
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Timeliness of publication of randomized controlled trials in rheumatology: A systematic review. Semin Arthritis Rheum. Published 30 July 2026. doi:10.
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