DECREASE VI | Fictitious methods. 97% of the patients did not undergo a stress echo and the surgery as specified. No consent forms. Falsified description of method of outcome adjudication Fictitious database. |
DECREASE V | Falsified methods of patient assessment (myocardial infarction and renal failure) Fictitious adjudication committee No record of the stress echo images or of the ‘5-member panel’ said to have evaluated them No research patient records No evidence of written informed consent |
DECREASE IV | Fictitious ‘adjudication committee’ of cardiologist, anaesthiologist and surgeon (in reality adjudications made by surgeon alone). Fictitious events that did not match hospital records or clinical discharge reports |
DECREASE III | Not investigated in detail because: No source data could be found to investigate No written consent forms. No contemporaneous documentation, only current verbal assurances |
DECREASE II | Fictitious method of establishing outcome |
(DECREASE I | Not investigated as it was more than 10 years old) |