COCHRANE ROB 2 · 偏誤風險評讀
第4週症狀總有效率
← 回到「消化不良」的圖表
總體判斷 OVERALL-High(高風險)
Domain 與 overall 判斷由程式依 Cochrane RoB 2 官方演算法計算;AI 只負責回答下方各訊號問題。符號:+ 低風險、? 有些疑慮、- 高風險(不只靠顏色)。
風險偏誤紅綠燈
- +Domain 1 隨機化過程:Low(低風險)
- -Domain 2 偏離預定介入:High(高風險)
- +Domain 3 缺失結局資料:Low(低風險)
- +Domain 4 結局測量:Low(低風險)
- ?Domain 5 選擇性報告:Some concerns(有些疑慮)
- -總體(Overall):High(高風險)
中文摘要(給一般讀者)
這篇論文的偏誤風險與 limitation
本篇為隨機、雙盲、多中心、安慰劑對照之平行組試驗(非交叉),評讀主要結局=第4週消化不良症狀總有效率(氣滯胃痛顆粒 vs 安慰劑)。隨機化面向佳:電子隨機序列(1.1 Y)、依序編號不透明密封信封做分配隱匿(1.2 PY)、基線兩組均衡(1.3 N)。盲性面向佳:雙盲且安慰劑做到口味/外觀/氣味相近、導入期先排除安慰劑高反應者,病人自填之主觀症狀評分在此仍屬有效盲化(2.1/2.2/4.3 皆PN),故結局測量域偏誤低(4.1 N、4.2 PN)。缺失資料有限:真正失去追蹤僅約7/197、兩組相近,結局為二分類且事件數遠大於缺失(3.1 PY),本域偏誤低。最大隱憂在『偏離介入/分析』域:主要療效僅以 per-protocol set(PPS,165/197)呈報,屬素樸 per-protocol 分析、非ITT/FAS(2.6 N),且被排除的32位(約16%)含療效不佳、使用非試驗藥、違反方案等與結局相關之理由,對指派效果的估計可能有實質影響(2.7 PY),此域偏誤傾向偏高。選擇性報告方面,試驗雖前瞻註冊並明訂主要結局(5.2/5.3 PN),但無法確認統計分析計畫於解盲前定案(5.1 NI),屬中度疑慮。整體而言,本結局在隨機化、盲性、缺失資料上表現穩健,主要偏誤來源為以PPS(非意向治療)呈報療效所帶來的分析層面偏誤。
詳細評讀(給專業讀者)
Domain 1:隨機化過程 — 判斷:Low
偏誤來源:隨機分組的過程——分配序列是否隨機產生、是否隱蔽到分組為止、基線(第一期開始時)是否平衡。
1.1 Was the allocation sequence random?
分配序列是否隨機產生?
- 回答:是(Yes — 有明確證據支持)
- 原文引述:Randomization was done electronically by assigning patients a number corresponding to either Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules or placebo (at a 1:1 ratio) in ascending order.以電子方式進行隨機化,將患者指派一個對應到氣滯胃痛顆粒或安慰劑的號碼(1:1比例)。
- 理由:以電子方式產生隨機分配序列,含隨機成分,屬適當的隨機序列產生方法,故答 Y。
1.2 Was the allocation sequence concealed until participants were enrolled and assigned to interventions?
分配是否隱蔽到分組為止?
- 回答:可能是(Probably yes — 綜合判斷後傾向「是」)
- 原文引述:Each randomization number was placed in a sequentially numbered opaque envelope that was sealed by the clinical research coordinator. After screening, the clinical investigator assigned the participants to a treatment group according to the randomization number.每個隨機號碼放入依序編號的不透明信封,由臨床研究協調員密封;篩選後,臨床研究者依隨機號碼將受試者分派到治療組。
- 理由:使用「依序編號、不透明、密封信封」,符合分配隱匿的最低標準;雖未明述防竄改封條與拆封時點等延伸細節,仍可合理判斷分配在納入前受到隱匿,故答 PY。
1.3 Did baseline differences between intervention groups suggest a problem with the randomization process?
(第一期開始時)基線差異是否暗示隨機化有問題?
- 回答:否(No — 有明確證據支持)
- 原文引述:Mean height, weight, gender, age, marital status, previous medication use, previous medical history, vital signs, abdominal ultrasound, electrocardiogram, and gastroscopy showed no differences between the two groups (P > 0.05).兩組在身高、體重、性別、年齡、婚姻狀態、既往用藥、既往病史、生命徵象、腹部超音波、心電圖與胃鏡皆無差異(P>0.05)。
- 理由:表2各基線特徵兩組皆無統計顯著差異、兩組人數接近(99 vs 98),無暗示隨機化出問題的失衡,故答 N。
Domain 2:偏離預定介入 — 判斷:High
偏誤來源:實際執行時偏離預定的介入——盲性如何、是否依「隨機分到的組別」分析(ITT)。
2.1 Were participants aware of their assigned intervention during the trial?
參與者是否(在每一期)知道自己的分組?
- 回答:可能否(Probably no — 綜合判斷後傾向「否」)
- 原文引述:The placebo was designed by the company with 5% of the active ingredients of the medicine with the same label and had a similar taste, appearance, and smell... Both the investigators and patients were blinded to the assigned treatment throughout the study.安慰劑由廠商設計、含5%藥物有效成分、標籤相同、氣味外觀口味相近⋯全程研究者與患者皆對分組盲化。
- 理由:採雙盲,安慰劑刻意做到口味/外觀/氣味與試驗藥相近(針對中藥特殊氣味此為強化盲性的設計),患者應無法得知分組,故答 PN(可能不知情)。
2.2 Were carers and people delivering the interventions aware of participants' assigned intervention during the trial?
照護/執行者是否(在每一期)知道分組?
- 回答:可能否(Probably no — 綜合判斷後傾向「否」)
- 原文引述:Both the investigators and patients were blinded to the assigned treatment throughout the study.全程研究者與患者皆對所分派的治療盲化。
- 理由:施治/照顧的研究者亦被盲化,加上分配隱匿(依序編號密封信封),施治者應不知分組,故答 PN。
2.3 Were there deviations from the intended intervention that arose because of the trial context?
是否因試驗情境造成偏離?
- 回答:不需評估(NA)
- 原因:條件題:依 2.1/2.2 的答案,本題依 RoB 2 官方路由不需評估(NA)。
2.4 Were these deviations likely to have affected the outcome?
這些偏離是否可能影響結局?
- 回答:不需評估(NA)
- 原因:條件題:依 2.3 的答案,本題依 RoB 2 官方路由不需評估(NA)。
2.5 Were these deviations from intended intervention balanced between groups?
這些偏離在兩組間是否平衡?
- 回答:不需評估(NA)
- 原因:條件題:依 2.4 的答案,本題依 RoB 2 官方路由不需評估(NA)。
2.6 Was an appropriate analysis used to estimate the effect of assignment to intervention?
是否用了適當分析(ITT)?
- 回答:否(No — 有明確證據支持)
- 原文引述:A PPS analysis was also conducted and was limited to patients who completed at least the 4-week intervention, according to the protocol, without severe delay, and who had not taken any prohibited concomitant medications... The PPS was used in the efficacy evaluation, while the FAS and the SS were used in the safety evaluation.另做符合方案分析(PPS),僅限完成至少4週介入、無嚴重延遲、且未服用禁用併用藥的患者⋯療效評估採用PPS,全分析集(FAS)與安全集(SS)用於安全性評估。
- 理由:主要療效結局(第4週總有效率)所報數據取自 PPS(僅165/197、排除32位),屬典型的「素樸 per-protocol 分析」,非依隨機分派納入全部受試者的 ITT/mITT。雖有 FAS(≈ITT)可用,但療效並未以其呈報,故對「指派效果」而言屬不適當分析,答 N。
2.7 Was there potential for a substantial impact (on the result) of the failure to analyse participants in the group to which they were randomized?
未依隨機分組分析,是否可能對結果造成重大影響?
- 回答:可能是(Probably yes — 綜合判斷後傾向「是」)
- 原文引述:Data from 165 participants were included in the PPS analysis, with 85 in the treatment group and 80 in the control group. Reasons for exclusion from the PPS analysis are shown in Figure 2.PPS分析納入165位(治療組85、對照組80);排除PPS的理由見圖2。
- 理由:197位隨機者中有32位(約16%)未進入所報的PPS分析(治療組排除14、對照組排除18),排除理由含「療效不佳、使用非試驗藥、違反方案」等可能與預後/結局相關者;比例大且與結局有關,對第4週有效率結果可能有實質影響,故答 PY。
Domain 3:缺失結局資料 — 判斷:Low
偏誤來源:結局資料缺失——是否幾乎所有人都有資料、缺失是否可能與病情(結局真實值)相關。
3.1 Were data for this outcome available for all, or nearly all, participants randomized?
是否幾乎所有受試者都有此結局的資料?
- 回答:可能是(Probably yes — 綜合判斷後傾向「是」)
- 原文引述:Ten participants dropped out the study, but they received treatment and underwent at least three observation points. Therefore, the FAS and SS population was 197, with 99 in the treatment group and 98 in the control group.10位退出研究,但都接受過治療並至少完成三個觀察時點;故FAS與SS人數為197(治療99、對照98)。
- 理由:本域只計真正缺失(失去追蹤)之結局資料(PPS的方案性排除歸Domain 2)。真正失去追蹤者僅治療組4、對照組3(共約7/197、~3.6%),退出者亦多有部分觀察資料,且結局為二分類、事件數(59、13)遠大於缺失數,缺失屬「幾乎所有人都有資料」,故答 PY。
3.2 Is there evidence that the result was not biased by missing outcome data?
是否有證據顯示結果未受缺失資料偏誤?
- 回答:不需評估(NA)
- 原因:條件題:依 3.1 的答案,本題依 RoB 2 官方路由不需評估(NA)。
3.3 Could missingness in the outcome depend on its true value?
缺失是否可能取決於結局真實值?
- 回答:不需評估(NA)
- 原因:條件題:依 3.2 的答案,本題依 RoB 2 官方路由不需評估(NA)。
3.4 Is it likely that missingness in the outcome depended on its true value?
缺失是否很可能取決於結局真實值?
- 回答:不需評估(NA)
- 原因:條件題:依 3.3 的答案,本題依 RoB 2 官方路由不需評估(NA)。
Domain 4:結局測量 — 判斷:Low
偏誤來源:結局的測量——測量工具是否恰當、評估者是否盲化、評估是否可能受分組知情影響。
4.1 Was the method of measuring the outcome inappropriate?
結局測量方法是否不適當?
- 回答:否(No — 有明確證據支持)
- 原文引述:The patients used diary cards to record their symptoms and assessed the symptoms with investigators by means of a rating scale which was scored on a 5-point scale... the global symptom index... was obtained by multiplying severity by frequency.患者以日記卡記錄症狀,並與研究者以5分制評分量表評估症狀⋯整體症狀指數由嚴重度乘以頻率取得。
- 理由:以文獻常用之5分制消化不良症狀(嚴重度×頻率)量表量測、並依既定準則換算療效等級,量測方法對此結局適當,故答 N。
4.2 Could measurement or ascertainment of the outcome have differed between intervention groups?
(每一序列內)結局測量是否可能因介入而異?
- 回答:可能否(Probably no — 綜合判斷後傾向「否」)
- 原文引述:The patients used diary cards to record their symptoms and assessed the symptoms with investigators by means of a rating scale which was scored on a 5-point scale [Table 1] at baseline, at weeks 2 and 4 after the start of treatment, and 2 weeks after the cease of the treatment.兩組患者皆以相同5分制量表於基線、第2、4週及停藥後2週評估症狀。
- 理由:兩組使用相同量表、相同時間點量測,量測方法一致;為安慰劑對照、無因介入本身而增加就診/偵測機會的問題,故答 PN。
4.3 Were outcome assessors aware of the intervention received by study participants?
結局評估者是否知道受試者接受的介入?
- 回答:可能否(Probably no — 綜合判斷後傾向「否」)
- 原文引述:Both the investigators and patients were blinded to the assigned treatment throughout the study.全程研究者與患者皆對所分派的治療盲化。
- 理由:本結局為病人自填(症狀評分),評估者即患者本人;因採雙盲且安慰劑做到口味/外觀/氣味相近,患者(評估者)應被有效盲化、不知所受介入,故答 PN。
4.4 Could assessment of the outcome have been influenced by knowledge of intervention received?
結局評估是否可能受介入知情影響?
- 回答:不需評估(NA)
- 原因:條件題:依 4.3 的答案,本題依 RoB 2 官方路由不需評估(NA)。
4.5 Is it likely that assessment of the outcome was influenced by knowledge of intervention received?
結局評估是否很可能受介入知情影響?
- 回答:不需評估(NA)
- 原因:條件題:依 4.4 的答案,本題依 RoB 2 官方路由不需評估(NA)。
Domain 5:選擇性報告 — 判斷:Some concerns
偏誤來源:選擇性報告結果——是否依事前訂定的分析計畫分析、有無從多個結果中挑選有利者報告(交叉另含:是否因偵測到殘留而只報第一期)。
5.1 Were the data that produced this result analysed in accordance with a pre-specified analysis plan that was finalized before unblinded outcome data were available for analysis?
是否依事前訂定(取得未盲化資料前定版)的分析計畫分析?
- 回答:資訊不足(No information — 原文未提供足以判斷的資訊)
- 原文引述:Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT02460601. The primary outcome variable was the total curative rate at week 4.試驗註冊 NCT02460601;主要結局變項為第4週總有效率。
- 理由:試驗有前瞻註冊且明訂主要結局,惟無法從論文取得完整的統計分析計畫、亦無從確認該分析計畫(含以PPS評療效之決定)於解盲前定案,依規格對無法確認事前定案者判 NI。
5.2 Is the numerical result being assessed likely to have been selected, on the basis of the results, from multiple eligible outcome measurements (e.g. scales, definitions, time points) within the outcome domain?
此數值結果是否可能依結果,從多個量表/定義/時間點中選出?
- 回答:可能否(Probably no — 綜合判斷後傾向「否」)
- 原文引述:The primary outcome variable was the total curative rate at week 4.主要結局變項為第4週總有效率。
- 理由:主要結局(第4週總有效率)為單一明訂之量測、且如實呈報;雖有多時間點(第2、4週、追蹤)但均完整報告,未見從多個量測中挑選有利者,故答 PN。
5.3 Is the numerical result being assessed likely to have been selected, on the basis of the results, from multiple eligible analyses of the data?
此數值結果是否可能依結果,從多種分析中選出?
- 回答:可能否(Probably no — 綜合判斷後傾向「否」)
- 原文引述:The PPS was used in the efficacy evaluation, while the FAS and the SS were used in the safety evaluation.療效評估採用PPS,FAS與SS用於安全性評估。
- 理由:療效統一以事前敘明的PPS呈報、未見同時跑多種分析再挑顯著者呈報之跡象,故答 PN(此處針對『依結果挑分析』;PPS本身之適當性問題已於Domain 2.6扣分)。