The effect of the publication of a major clinical trial in a high impact journal on clinical practise: the ORACLE Trial experience

Abstract

Objective To estimate the short term effect of the publication of a major clinical trial on clinical practise.Design Questionnaire survey of clinical practise.Setting UK.Population All maternity units in the UK.Method A self-administered questionnaire completed by lead consultants on delivery suite of maternity units. Main outcome measures Changes in antibiotic prescription.Results Within six months of publication, approximately 50% of maternity units had changed their guidelines for the care of women with preterm prelabour rupture of the fetal membranes. Conclusion Publication of a major clinical trial does impact on clinical practise but the impact is heterogeneous in terms of time and consistency.