A look at the potential association between PICOT framing of a research question and the quality of reporting of analgesia RCTs

Table 4 Association between PICOT score and Key Methodological Items Score (KMIS) ^a

	Univariate analysis			Multi-variable analysis
Predictor Variable	IRR	95% CI	Pvalue	IRR	95% CI	Pvalue
PICOT	1.007	(0.987, 1.027)	0.492	1.061	(0.515, 2.188)	0.872
Sample Size^b	1.746	(0.677, 4.504)	0.249	2.139	(0.126, 36.243)	0.598
Impact Factor	1.601	(0.784, 3.269)	0.196	2.037	(0.739, 5.614)	0.169
Journal adopted CONSORT Statement at the time of data collection.	0.909	(0.359, 2.303)	0.841	0.528	(0.147, 1.900)	0.329
Funding reported	2.051	(0.731, 5.754)	0.172	1.697	(0.533, 5.408)	0.371

CI: Confidence Interval; IRR: Incidence Rate Ratio.
^aMaximum Possible Score for the Key Methodological Items Score = 3.
^bThe sample size variable was log(10) transformed. The value is an expression of the change in the average of the KMIS due to one unit increase in sample size in the log scale.

ISSN: 1471-2253