What Researchers Did
A Canadian research team analyzed how well 50 randomly selected HBOT clinical trials published between 2018 and 2023 followed international reporting standards (CONSORT for randomized trials, STROBE for observational studies).
What They Found
Not a single study scored as 'excellent' on completeness of reporting. Fifty-six percent were rated 'good' and 44% were rated 'poor.' Only 1 of 25 randomized trials adequately reported whether the study protocol was followed, and only 8 of 25 (32%) described their blinding procedures. Zero studies reported whether care providers followed the HBOT protocol as intended.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Poor reporting quality makes it harder for doctors and patients to trust the results of HBOT research. Canadian patients reading news stories or clinic marketing based on HBOT studies should understand that nearly half of published trials have significant gaps in how their methods and results are described.
Canadian Relevance
This study has Canadian authors (Cleroux A, Pollock N, Boet S, listed as Canadian: Yes), adding direct Canadian contribution to the field of hyperbaric evidence quality.
Study Limitations
Only 50 randomly selected studies were analyzed, representing a fraction of the total HBOT research published in the study period.