The European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing Endorses the Consort Statement and Extension

As editors of the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (EJCN) we aim to inform our readers of the latest scientific developments relevant to cardiovascular nursing. As in other fields of nursing, cardiovascular nurses can increasingly base their practice on a growing body of evidence. This evidence might reflect findings from studies that vary in terms of design or method. Indeed, in the EJCN authors increasingly report data from studies that use either qualitative or quantitative designs or a mix of both. Findings from different areas and different designs can complement each other. For example, we recently published a paper reporting data from a focus group session describing patients' experiences of home and hospital based cardiac rehabilitation [1]. In the same issue of the EJCN we published another paper reporting data from a survey of coronary heart disease patients who declined to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program [2]. Data from such qualitative and quantitative studies can enrich our understanding by solving clinical problems, evaluating practice and policy and generating and testing theory. Although the number of papers in the EJCN reporting the results of randomized controlled trials (RCT) is limited, nurses increasingly are involved in studies employing such a design. An RCT is characterized by random allocation of subjects to different interventions and well-designed and properly executed RCTs are deemed to provide the best evidence on the efficacy of health care interventions. In an attempt to improve the reporting of clinical trials a group of editors and scientists developed a common set of recommendations, the outcome of which was the CONSORT statement (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials). The CONSORT statement, first published in 1996 [3] and revised in 2001 [4] comprises a checklist of essential items that should be included in reports of RCTs and a diagram for documenting the flow of participants through a trial (Fig. 1). However, some specific issues that apply to trials of non-pharmacological treatments (for example, rehabilitation, psychotherapy and behavioural intervention), and thus more appropriate for nursing, are not specifically addressed in the CONSORT statement. Therefore, the CONSORT group developed an extension of the statement for trials of non-pharmacological treatments [5]. Consort diagram The CONSORT statement has been adopted by over 80 medical and nursing journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the New England Journal of Medicine, the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the Journal of Advanced Nursing, Nursing Research and Research and Nursing and Health. The editors of the EJCN formally adopt the CONSORT statement and also the new extension. The EJCN now requires authors to adhere to both as appropriate. By endorsing the CONSORT statement and extension we hope to improve the quality of the Journal and make data from RCTs readable and acceptable to you.