COMET Initiative
ThemesCOMET Initiative
What is this about?
Why is this important?
To determine whether an intervention is safe and effective, researchers have to compare the effects of interventions on chosen outcomes. However, there is a wide range of potential outcomes that can be measured to estimate the effect of an intervention. Careful selection of appropriate outcome measures is crucial if the results of the studies are to be used for healthcare decision-making. Furthermore, a systematic review of the empirical evidence of outcome reporting bias (results-based selection for publication of a subset of the originally recorded outcome variables) identified it as a significant problem in randomised controlled trials[1]. The important issue is that outcomes reported in RCTs may not be meaningful for the end-users.
Additionally, since different outcome measures are used in different RCTs concerning similar topics, it is difficult for researchers conducting systematic reviews to compare those results and summarise the available evidence.
- ↑ Dwan K, Altman DG, Arnaiz JA, Bloom J, Chan A-W, Cronin E, et al. Systematic Review of the Empirical Evidence of Study Publication Bias and Outcome Reporting Bias. Siegfried N, editor. PLoS ONE. 2008 Aug 28;3(8):e3081.
For whom is this important?
What are the best practices?
The COMET initiative focuses on developing standardised sets of outcomes that represent a minimum that should be measured and reported in studies with different study designs. Core outcomes included in sets must be relevant for patients and healthcare providers.
The COMET Initiative has a database open to all researchers planning to conduct a study with an 'advanced search' option to find core outcome sets appropriate for their studies[1].Nensi Ćaćić contributed to this theme. Latest contribution was Mar 04, 2022
Other information
Virtues & Values
Good Practices & Misconduct
- ↑ COMET Initiative | Home [Internet]. [cited 2022 Mar 4]. Available from: https://www.comet-initiative.org/
