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# Reporting guidelines: CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, STARD

- Concept

Reporting guidelines are lists of what a paper must report for its design, so that the reader can judge it.

Updated Nov 5, 2026

## Key points

- CONSORT: randomised controlled trial; flow diagram of participants (assessed, allocated, followed up, analysed).
- STROBE: observational studies: cohort, case-control and cross-sectional.
- PRISMA: systematic reviews and meta-analyses; flow diagram of records identified, screened and included.
- STARD: diagnostic test accuracy studies; flow of participants through the index test and the reference standard.
- Others: CARE (case report), SPIRIT (trial protocol).
- Meeting the checklist means a good report, not a good study: a biased trial can be well reported.

## What it is

Reporting guidelines are checklists, often with a flow diagram, that set out what a paper should report for its design. CONSORT is for randomised trials, STROBE for observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional), PRISMA for systematic reviews and STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies. They improve the transparency of reporting; they are not tools for rating study quality.

## Worked example

- Data (made up): the CONSORT diagram of a trial; 640 people assessed for eligibility.
- Excluded: 140 (did not meet criteria or declined); randomised: 640 − 140 = 500.
- Allocation: 250 to the intervention group and 250 to control.
- Lost to follow-up: 20 in intervention (8 %) and 30 in control (12 %).
- Intention-to-treat analysis: 250 and 250; per protocol: 250 − 20 = 230 and 250 − 30 = 220.
- Reading: the diagram shows at a glance how many were lost in each arm and who was analysed.

## Which guideline for which design

| Guideline | Design | Flow diagram |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CONSORT | Randomised controlled trial | Assessed, randomised, allocated, lost, analysed |
| STROBE | Cohort, case-control, cross-sectional | Recommended to show participants at each stage |
| PRISMA | Systematic review and meta-analysis | Records identified, screened, excluded and included |
| STARD | Diagnostic accuracy | Participants by index test and reference standard result |
| CARE | Case report | Not applicable (case timeline) |
| SPIRIT | Trial protocol | Schedule of enrolment, interventions and assessments |

## Markers

- CONSORT
- STROBE
- PRISMA
- STARD

## In practice

- When reading a trial, the CONSORT diagram is the fastest place to check losses and intention-to-treat analysis.
- Many journals ask for the matching checklist when a manuscript is submitted.

## Common pitfalls

- Using CONSORT or STROBE as a quality score: they are reporting guidelines, not risk-of-bias tools.
- Choosing the wrong guideline: STROBE for a trial or CONSORT for a cohort.

## Memory aid

Trials CONSORT, Observers STROBE, Reviewers PRISMA, Diagnosticians STARD.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## Which reporting guideline fits a case-control study?

STROBE, which covers observational studies: cohort, case-control and cross-sectional.

## Which design is PRISMA for?

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

## Does meeting CONSORT guarantee that a trial is of good quality?

No: it guarantees that it is well reported; quality is judged with risk-of-bias tools.

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## Connections

## Related 5

- [Randomised controlled trial](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/randomised-controlled-trial/)
- [Systematic review](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/systematic-review/)
- [Critical appraisal of a paper](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/critical-appraisal-of-a-paper/)
- [Cohort study](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/cohort-study/)
- [Reference standard (gold standard)](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/reference-standard/)

[← All of epidemiology](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/)

Educational content on epidemiological and statistical methods; the examples use made-up numbers to teach the calculation. Not a clinical or legal guide: current Colombian rules are in the official sources.

Sources: [CONSORT 2025 Statement: updated guideline for reporting randomised trials](https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/consort/) (EQUATOR Network, 2025); [The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews](https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/prisma/) (EQUATOR Network, 2021).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/reporting-guidelines-consort-strobe-prisma-stard/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/reporting-guidelines-consort-strobe-prisma-stard/