Objective 　To learn if appropriate methods and clinically relevant outcomes were used by analyzing methods of outcome assessment in Chinese acute stroke trials.
Method 　Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials on acute stroke published before March 2003 in 6 Chinese neurological journals were included. Types of outcome measures, blinding of outcome assessment, duration of follow up, statistical methods used for data analysis and the significance of the results were evaluated. Types of outcomes were classified as death and four levels: ① Pathology. ② Impairment. ③ Disability. ④ Handicap/quality of life.
Results 　Two hundreds and ten trials were included in this analysis. 57% of the trials used outcomes in pathology level, 77% in impairment level, 12% in disability level and none in the quality of life level. No dichotomous data was analyzed for disability measures. Only 16% of the trials reported number of death but few of them designed death as an outcome measure. Duration of follow up ranged from 3h to 3 years (median 17 d, interquartile range 14-30 d). Most trials did not assess outcomes blindly. Results in 95% of the trials were favorable to the tested interventions.
Conclusions 　In Chinese acute stroke trials, outcome measures used were mainly in pathology and impairment levels and very few trials used functional outcome or death. Blinding of outcome assessment was not commonly used. The average duration of follow up was short.

Citation： LIU Ming,WU Bo,YUAN Qiang. Methods of Outcome Assessment in Chinese Acute Stroke Trials. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2004, 04(3): 164-166. doi: Copy