Demographic data remain underreported in minimally invasive surgery research

Researchers reviewed 472 articles published from 2018 through 2023 in *Surgical Endoscopy*, *Journal of Robotic Surgery* and *Surgical Innovation*. They recorded study design, geographic origin and whether demographic data were reported, comparing patterns before and after March 2020. Randomized controlled trials accounted for 61.2% of the articles.

Only 21 North American studies—20 from the United States and one from Canada—reported race; none of the studies from Asia or Europe did. Among U.S. studies, race reporting was similar before and after March 2020 (22.2% vs. 21.8%; p=0.25), as was gender reporting (p=0.07). Regional differences in U.S. race reporting were significant (p=0.003), with the lowest rate in the Midwest. In post-2020 studies, gender reporting was higher in Asia (94.9%) than in Europe (84.7%) or North America (80.9%; p=0.005).

The findings indicate persistent gaps in demographic reporting across the journals reviewed, limiting assessment of how well surgical research represents different populations. The analysis covers three journals and does not establish whether reporting practices are similar across all surgical research. The authors call for broader use of standardized demographic reporting.