Article

Purpose: To assess reporting completeness of the most frequent outcome measures
used in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of rehabilitation interventions for
mechanical low back pain. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of RCTs
included in all Cochrane systematic reviews (SRs) published up to May 2013. Two
authors independently evaluated the type and frequency of each outcome measure
reported, the methods used to measure outcomes, the completeness of outcome
reporting using a eight-item checklist, and the proportion of outcomes fully
replicable by an independent assessor. Results: Our literature search identified
11 SRs, including 185 RCTs. Thirty-six different outcomes were investigated
across all RCTs. The 2 most commonly reported outcomes were pain (n=165 RCTs;
89.2%) and disability (n=118 RCTs; 63.8%), which were assessed by 66 and 44
measurement tools, respectively. Pain and disability outcomes were found
replicable in only 10.3% (n=17) and 10.2% (n=12) of the RCTs, respectively. Only
40 RCTs (21.6%) distinguished between primary and secondary outcomes.
Conclusions: A large number of outcome measures and a myriad of measurement
instruments were used across all RCTs. The reporting was largely incomplete,
suggesting an opportunity for a standardized approach to reporting in
rehabilitation science.

Langue : ANGLAIS