Table 3.

ACE checklist for abstracts

Section/Topic	Standard checklist description	Extension for adaptive design randomised trials
Title	Identification of study as randomised
Authors	Contact details for the corresponding author
Trial designa	Description of the trial design (for example, parallel, cluster, non-inferiority)	Description of the trial design (for example, parallel, cluster, non-inferiority); include the word “adaptive” in the content or at least as a keyword
Methods
Participants	Eligibility criteria for participants and the settings where the data were collected
Interventions	Interventions intended for each group
Objective	Specific objective or hypothesis
Outcomeb	Clearly defined primary outcome for this report	See expanded E&E text for clarification
Randomisation	How participants were allocated to interventions
Blinding (masking)	Whether or not participants, care givers, and those assessing the outcomes were blinded to group assignment
Results
Numbers randomised	Number of participants randomised to each group
Recruitment	Trial status
Adaptation decisions madec		Specify what trial adaptation decisions were made in light of the pre-planned decision-making criteria and observed accrued data
Numbers analysed	Number of participants analysed in each group
Outcome	For the primary outcome, a result for each group and the estimated effect size and its precision
Harms	Important adverse events or side effects
Conclusions	General interpretation of the results
Trial registration	Registration number and name of trial register
Funding	Source of funding

E&E = explanation and elaboration

^aModified items that require reference to both CONSORT for abstracts [136, 137] and ACE;

^bItem wording remains unchanged in reference to CONSORT for abstracts [136, 137], but we expanded the ACE explanatory text to clarify additional considerations for certain adaptive designs;

^cNew items that should only be applied in reference to ACE