Instructions for the use of MInCir scale to assess methodological quality in therapy studies

Abstract

The assessment of methodological quality (MQ) in biomedical research is an area of dynamic development over recent years globally. Understood as a complex and multidimensional construct, various groups have proposed tools for its assessment. Our team has designed and validated scales to assess MQ of therapy, diagnosis, and prognosis studies. However, as with other instruments, it is necessary to specify in detail how it is applied, in order to standardize the measurements made with this instrument. The aim of this article is to provide a guideline for the standardized application of the MInCir MQ scale for therapy or therapeutic procedure studies. A detailed description of the 3 domains and 6 items comprising the scale, specifying for each of them how to assess the characteristics and score articles on therapy or therapeutic procedures is presented. This article provides an application guideline that may help to improve interobserver and intraobserver reliability of the MInCir MQ scale for therapy or therapeutic procedures.