Spinal Research - A Field In Need Of Standardization

To the Editor: The 2014 Lancet series “Research: Increasing Value, Reducing Waste” proposed a number of drivers of research inefficiency, a problem estimated to prevent 85% of biomedical research from offering actual or potential clinical benefit1. These included heterogeneous data collection and reporting, which prevents comprehensive synthesis and data comparison. The development of standardized datasets is an effective response to this problem. The nomenclature for them is inconsistent, but these sets can be broadly separated as core outcome sets (COS) if they include only outcomes or core data elements (CDE) if they include additional data points2,3. Integral to these processes is the involvement of everyone involved, including those who have the condition2. Pioneered by organizations such as Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT), and supported more recently by organizations such as Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET), such datasets are serving many medical fields, including rheumatology. The Journal of Rheumatology serves as an exemplar for disseminating COS/CDE research, publishing many articles yearly about the methods, findings, and importance of COS/CDE sets in rheumatology. Indeed, the October 2019 issue of The Journal showcased 14 articles by the OMERACT group, highlighting results from the 2018 OMERACT International Consensus Conference. Indeed, a 2018 review found 366 COS published in the (medical) literature so far, with the numbers increasing yearly4. The OMERACT Website currently lists … Address correspondence to D.Z. Khan, Academic Neurosurgery Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. E-mail: Dzkhan94{at}gmail.com