Heterogeneity in application, design and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies included in Cochrane reviews

Stephanie Polus; Dawid Pieper; Jacob Burns; Atle Fretheim; Craig Ramsay; Julian PT. Higgins; Tim Mathes; Lisa M. Pfadenhauer; Eva A. Rehfuess

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008

Heterogeneity in application, design and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies included in Cochrane reviews

Stephanie Polus, Dawid Pieper, Jacob Burns, Atle Fretheim, Craig Ramsay, Julian PT. Higgins, Tim Mathes, Lisa M. Pfadenhauer, Eva A. Rehfuess

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Objective

To examine the application, design and analysis characteristics of controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies and their use in Cochrane reviews.

Study Design and Setting

We searched the Cochrane library for reviews including these study designs from May 2012 - March 2015 and purposively selected, where available, two reviews each across ten pre-specified intervention types. We randomly selected two CBA and two ITS studies from each review. Two researchers independently extracted information from the studies and the respective reviews.

Results

69 reviews considered CBA and ITS studies for inclusion. We analysed 21 CBA and 16 ITS studies from 11 and 8 reviews respectively. Cochrane reviews inconsistently defined and labelled CBA and ITS studies. Many studies did not meet the Cochrane definition or the minimum criteria provided by Cochrane EPOC. The studies present a heterogeneous set of study features and applied a large variety of analyses.

Conclusion

While CBA and ITS studies represent important study designs to evaluate the effects of interventions, especially on a population or organisational level, unclear study design features challenge unequivocal classification and appropriate use. We discuss options for more specific definitions and explicit criteria for CBA and ITS studies.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Early online date	25 Jul 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 25 Jul 2017

Keywords

(index-appropriate): Controlled Before-After Studies
Interrupted Time Series Analysis
review
methods
Public Health

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10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008

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Polus, S., Pieper, D., Burns, J., Fretheim, A., Ramsay, C., Higgins, J. PT., Mathes, T., Pfadenhauer, L. M., & Rehfuess, E. A. (2017). Heterogeneity in application, design and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies included in Cochrane reviews. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008

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title = "Heterogeneity in application, design and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies included in Cochrane reviews",

abstract = "Objective To examine the application, design and analysis characteristics of controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies and their use in Cochrane reviews. Study Design and Setting We searched the Cochrane library for reviews including these study designs from May 2012 - March 2015 and purposively selected, where available, two reviews each across ten pre-specified intervention types. We randomly selected two CBA and two ITS studies from each review. Two researchers independently extracted information from the studies and the respective reviews. Results 69 reviews considered CBA and ITS studies for inclusion. We analysed 21 CBA and 16 ITS studies from 11 and 8 reviews respectively. Cochrane reviews inconsistently defined and labelled CBA and ITS studies. Many studies did not meet the Cochrane definition or the minimum criteria provided by Cochrane EPOC. The studies present a heterogeneous set of study features and applied a large variety of analyses. Conclusion While CBA and ITS studies represent important study designs to evaluate the effects of interventions, especially on a population or organisational level, unclear study design features challenge unequivocal classification and appropriate use. We discuss options for more specific definitions and explicit criteria for CBA and ITS studies.",

keywords = "(index-appropriate): Controlled Before-After Studies, Interrupted Time Series Analysis, review, methods, Public Health",

author = "Stephanie Polus and Dawid Pieper and Jacob Burns and Atle Fretheim and Craig Ramsay and Higgins, {Julian PT.} and Tim Mathes and Pfadenhauer, {Lisa M.} and Rehfuess, {Eva A.}",

year = "2017",

month = jul,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Clinical Epidemiology",

issn = "0895-4356",

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Polus, S, Pieper, D, Burns, J, Fretheim, A, Ramsay, C, Higgins, JPT, Mathes, T, Pfadenhauer, LM & Rehfuess, EA 2017, 'Heterogeneity in application, design and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies included in Cochrane reviews', Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008

Heterogeneity in application, design and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies included in Cochrane reviews. / Polus, Stephanie; Pieper, Dawid; Burns, Jacob et al.

In: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 25.07.2017.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Heterogeneity in application, design and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies included in Cochrane reviews

AU - Polus, Stephanie

AU - Pieper, Dawid

AU - Burns, Jacob

AU - Fretheim, Atle

AU - Ramsay, Craig

AU - Higgins, Julian PT.

AU - Mathes, Tim

AU - Pfadenhauer, Lisa M.

AU - Rehfuess, Eva A.

PY - 2017/7/25

Y1 - 2017/7/25

N2 - Objective To examine the application, design and analysis characteristics of controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies and their use in Cochrane reviews. Study Design and Setting We searched the Cochrane library for reviews including these study designs from May 2012 - March 2015 and purposively selected, where available, two reviews each across ten pre-specified intervention types. We randomly selected two CBA and two ITS studies from each review. Two researchers independently extracted information from the studies and the respective reviews. Results 69 reviews considered CBA and ITS studies for inclusion. We analysed 21 CBA and 16 ITS studies from 11 and 8 reviews respectively. Cochrane reviews inconsistently defined and labelled CBA and ITS studies. Many studies did not meet the Cochrane definition or the minimum criteria provided by Cochrane EPOC. The studies present a heterogeneous set of study features and applied a large variety of analyses. Conclusion While CBA and ITS studies represent important study designs to evaluate the effects of interventions, especially on a population or organisational level, unclear study design features challenge unequivocal classification and appropriate use. We discuss options for more specific definitions and explicit criteria for CBA and ITS studies.

AB - Objective To examine the application, design and analysis characteristics of controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies and their use in Cochrane reviews. Study Design and Setting We searched the Cochrane library for reviews including these study designs from May 2012 - March 2015 and purposively selected, where available, two reviews each across ten pre-specified intervention types. We randomly selected two CBA and two ITS studies from each review. Two researchers independently extracted information from the studies and the respective reviews. Results 69 reviews considered CBA and ITS studies for inclusion. We analysed 21 CBA and 16 ITS studies from 11 and 8 reviews respectively. Cochrane reviews inconsistently defined and labelled CBA and ITS studies. Many studies did not meet the Cochrane definition or the minimum criteria provided by Cochrane EPOC. The studies present a heterogeneous set of study features and applied a large variety of analyses. Conclusion While CBA and ITS studies represent important study designs to evaluate the effects of interventions, especially on a population or organisational level, unclear study design features challenge unequivocal classification and appropriate use. We discuss options for more specific definitions and explicit criteria for CBA and ITS studies.

KW - (index-appropriate): Controlled Before-After Studies

KW - Interrupted Time Series Analysis

KW - review

KW - methods

KW - Public Health

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008

DO - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 28750849

JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

SN - 0895-4356

ER -

Heterogeneity in application, design and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after (CBA) and interrupted time series (ITS) studies included in Cochrane reviews

Abstract

Keywords

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