멘델 무작위화(Mendelian randomization, MR) 연구는 조절 가능한 노출(modifiable exposure)이 건강결과에 미치는 인과효과(causal effect)를 더 잘 이해하게 해 주지만, 그 근거는 종종 보고가 불충분함으로 인하여연구 결과의 해석과 적용에 한계가 있을 수 있다. 보고지침은 흔히 무슨 연구를 하고 무엇을 발견했는지 독자가 쉽게 이해하도록 돕는다. STROBE-MR(관찰연구의 멘델 무작위화를 활용한 보고지침)은 MR 연구를 명확하고 투명하게 보고하도록 돕는다. STROBE-MR을 논문 작성에 활용하면 독자, 심사자, 학술지 편집인이 MR 연구의 보고 품질과 완성도를 평가하는 데 도움이 될 것이다. 이 글은 STROBE-MR 체크리스트 20개 항목의 의미와 근거를 설명하고, 각 항목마다 사례를 제시해 독자가 잘 이해할 수 있는 논문 작성법을 설명하려고 하였다.

Purpose: Radical cystectomy is a high-risk procedure commonly followed by discharge to home with home care or long-term care facilities. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted healthcare delivery and discharge practices, offering a natural experiment to assess flexibility in postoperative care pathways. This study evaluates changes in discharge disposition during the pandemic and examines associated patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using statewide data from Pennsylvania. Adults who underwent radical cystectomy between quarter (Q) 1 2017 and Q2 2022 were categorized into prepandemic, height of pandemic, and COVID-19 vaccine periods. The primary outcome was discharge disposition: to home with home care, home, or long-term care. Secondary outcomes included 90-day readmission and 90- day mortality. Multinomial logistic regression assessed associations between pandemic period and discharge disposition, adjusting for demographics, comorbidity burden, cancer stage, and length of stay. Results: Among 1,755 patients, discharge to home with home care increased during the pandemic (71% prepandemic, 81% height of pandemic, 74% COVID-19 vaccine period), while long-term care use declined (18%, 5%, 13%). Compared to the prepandemic period, patients were significantly less likely to be discharged to long-term care during the height of the pandemic (odds ratio [OR], 0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12–0.42) and in the COVID-19 vaccine period (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.42–0.88). Patient-level predictors of discharge to long-term care included older age, female sex, higher comorbidity burden, and longer hospital stays. Despite changes in disposition, 90-day readmission and 90-day mortality remained clinically stable. Conclusions Discharge disposition patterns following radical cystectomy did not fully return to prepandemic norms, reflecting lasting changes in healthcare delivery beyond the acute phase of COVID-19. While the use of long-term care declined, outcomes remained stable, supporting the safety of expanded home-based recovery in selected patients. However, a consistent subset of patients continued to require institutional postacute care, suggesting that long-term care utilization is primarily driven by clinical need.