Journal of clinical epidemiology
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To demonstrate how individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses have impacted directly on the design and conduct of trials and highlight other advantages IPD might offer. ⋯ IPD meta-analysis could be better used to inform the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of trials.
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The aim of the present study was to obtain a cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of a Simplified Chinese (SC) version of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) for use in patients with low back pain (LBP). ⋯ TSK was adapted successfully into an SC version with excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability and with acceptable construct validity. A 13-item, three-factored SC-TSK structure was deemed to be a good fit for Chinese patients and appropriate for clinical and research use in mainland China.
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A key aspect to guarantee that research with human subjects is ethical is being overlooked. Ethics review committees invest great effort examining the informed consent documents of research protocols to ensure that potential participants can provide consent validly and are not deluded into thinking that the experimental intervention they may sign up for is already known to be therapeutic. However, these efforts to avoid what is called the "therapeutic misconception" might be in vain if the title with which the studies are being introduced to the potential participants escapes ethics review. ⋯ Providing potential research participants with such misleading information hampers their ability to make informed decisions. The well-established scrutiny that ethics review committees exercise with regard to consent forms is limited if the registration of clinical trials, for which a public title is chosen, constitutes a process that is independent from the ethics review. In this article, we examine this problem, assess recent measures to integrate clinical trial registration with ethics review processes, and provide specific recommendations to solve the problem and ultimately enhance the accountability, transparency, and ethics of research with human subjects.
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Review
Neuropathic pain screening questionnaires have limited measurement properties. A systematic review.
The Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4), ID Pain, Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS), PainDETECT, and Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire have been recommended as screening questionnaires for neuropathic pain. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the measurement properties (eg, criterion validity and reliability) of these questionnaires. ⋯ Overall, the DN4 and Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire were most suitable for clinical use. These screening questionnaires should not replace a thorough clinical assessment.
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Review Comparative Study
Head-to-head randomized trials are mostly industry sponsored and almost always favor the industry sponsor.
To map the current status of head-to-head comparative randomized evidence and to assess whether funding may impact on trial design and results. ⋯ The literature of head-to-head RCTs is dominated by the industry. Industry-sponsored comparative assessments systematically yield favorable results for the sponsors, even more so when noninferiority designs are involved.