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Petkovic J, Magwood O, Lytvyn L, Khabsa J, Concannon TW, Welch V, Todhunter-Brown A, Palm ME, Akl EA, Mbuagbaw L, Arayssi T, Avey MT, Marusic A, Morley R, Saginur M, Slingers N, Texeira L, Ben Brahem A, Bhaumik S, Bou Akl I, Crowe S, Dormer L, Ekanem C, Lang E, Kianzad B, Kuchenmüller T, Moja L, Pottie K, Schünemann H, Tugwell P. Key issues for stakeholder engagement in the development of health and healthcare guidelines. Res Involv Engagem 2023; 9:27. [PMID: 37118762 PMCID: PMC10142244 DOI: 10.1186/s40900-023-00433-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Established in 2015, the Multi-Stakeholder Engagement (MuSE) Consortium is an international network of over 120 individuals interested in stakeholder engagement in research and guidelines. The MuSE group is developing guidance for stakeholder engagement in the development of health and healthcare guideline development. The development of this guidance has included multiple meetings with stakeholders, including patients, payers/purchasers of health services, peer review editors, policymakers, program managers, providers, principal investigators, product makers, the public, and purchasers of health services and has identified a number of key issues. These include: (1) Definitions, roles, and settings (2) Stakeholder identification and selection (3) Levels of engagement, (4) Evaluation of engagement, (5) Documentation and transparency, and (6) Conflict of interest management. In this paper, we discuss these issues and our plan to develop guidance to facilitate stakeholder engagement in all stages of the development of health and healthcare guideline development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Petkovic
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Olivia Magwood
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Joanne Khabsa
- Clinical Research Institute, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Thomas W Concannon
- The RAND Corporation and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vivian Welch
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Alex Todhunter-Brown
- Nursing Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (NMAHP) Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Marisha E Palm
- Tufts Medical Center, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Tufts Medical Center, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elie A Akl
- Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (HEI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Lawrence Mbuagbaw
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Biostatistics Unit, Father Sean O'Sullivan Research Centre, St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Development of Best Practices in Health (CDBPH), Yaoundé Central Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Marc T Avey
- Canadian Council on Animal Care, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ana Marusic
- Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
| | | | | | | | | | - Asma Ben Brahem
- Director Guidelines and Care Pathways, INEAS (National Authority for Assessment and Accreditation in Healthcare), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Soumyadeep Bhaumik
- Meta-Research and Evidence Synthesis Unit, The George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, India
| | - Imad Bou Akl
- Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | | | | | | | - Eddy Lang
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta Health Services, Calgary Zone, Canada
| | - Behrang Kianzad
- Center for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation Law (CeBIL), Faculty of Law, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Lorenzo Moja
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Kevin Pottie
- Departments of Family Medicine and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Holger Schünemann
- Clinical Epidemiology and of Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, Research Methods and Recommendations, Hamilton, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Cochrane Canada and McMaster GRADE Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Peter Tugwell
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Knowledge Translation and Health Technology Assessment in Health Equity, Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
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Saginur M, Abdulnour J, Guérin E, Bancroft X, Corsi DJ, Zazzera VD, Bouattane EM. Association between newborn hypoglycemia screening and breastfeeding success in an Ottawa, Ontario, hospital: a retrospective cohort study. CMAJ Open 2023; 11:E381-E388. [PMID: 37159842 PMCID: PMC10139071 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20210324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has been limited investigation of the unintended effects of routine screening for asymptomatic hypoglycemia in at-risk newborns. This study aimed to explore whether rates of exclusive breastfeeding were lower in screened babies than in unscreened babies. METHODS This retrospective cohort study conducted in Ottawa, Canada, used data from Hôpital Montfort's electronic health information system. Healthy singleton newborns discharged between Feb. 1, 2014, and June 30, 2018, were included. We excluded babies and mothers with conditions expected to interfere with breastfeeding (e.g., twins). We investigated the association between postnatal screening for hypoglycemia and initial exclusive breastfeeding (in the first 24 hours of life). RESULTS We included 10 965 newborns; of these, 1952 (17.8%) were fully screened for hypoglycemia. Of screened newborns, 30.6% exclusively breastfed and 64.6% took both formula and breastmilk in the first 24 hours of life. Of unscreened newborns, 45.4% exclusively breastfed and 49.8% received both formula and breastmilk. The adjusted odds ratio for exclusive breastfeeding in the first 24 hours of life among newborns screened for hypoglycemia was 0.57 (95% confidence interval 0.51-0.64). INTERPRETATION The association of routine newborn hypoglycemia screening with a lower initial rate of exclusive breastfeeding suggests a potential effect of screening on early breastfeeding success. Confirmation of these findings might warrant a re-evaluation of the net benefit of asymptomatic postnatal hypoglycemia screening for different newborn populations at risk of hypoglycemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Saginur
- Institut du Savoir Montfort (Saginur, Abdulnour, Guérin, Bancroft, Della Zazzera); Faculty of Medicine (Saginur), University of Ottawa; Performance and Decision Support (Abdulnour, Bouattane), Montfort Hospital; Department of Psychology (Guérin), Carleton University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Corsi), Ottawa, Ont
| | - Joseph Abdulnour
- Institut du Savoir Montfort (Saginur, Abdulnour, Guérin, Bancroft, Della Zazzera); Faculty of Medicine (Saginur), University of Ottawa; Performance and Decision Support (Abdulnour, Bouattane), Montfort Hospital; Department of Psychology (Guérin), Carleton University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Corsi), Ottawa, Ont
| | - Eva Guérin
- Institut du Savoir Montfort (Saginur, Abdulnour, Guérin, Bancroft, Della Zazzera); Faculty of Medicine (Saginur), University of Ottawa; Performance and Decision Support (Abdulnour, Bouattane), Montfort Hospital; Department of Psychology (Guérin), Carleton University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Corsi), Ottawa, Ont
| | - Xaand Bancroft
- Institut du Savoir Montfort (Saginur, Abdulnour, Guérin, Bancroft, Della Zazzera); Faculty of Medicine (Saginur), University of Ottawa; Performance and Decision Support (Abdulnour, Bouattane), Montfort Hospital; Department of Psychology (Guérin), Carleton University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Corsi), Ottawa, Ont.
| | - Daniel J Corsi
- Institut du Savoir Montfort (Saginur, Abdulnour, Guérin, Bancroft, Della Zazzera); Faculty of Medicine (Saginur), University of Ottawa; Performance and Decision Support (Abdulnour, Bouattane), Montfort Hospital; Department of Psychology (Guérin), Carleton University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Corsi), Ottawa, Ont
| | - Vincent Della Zazzera
- Institut du Savoir Montfort (Saginur, Abdulnour, Guérin, Bancroft, Della Zazzera); Faculty of Medicine (Saginur), University of Ottawa; Performance and Decision Support (Abdulnour, Bouattane), Montfort Hospital; Department of Psychology (Guérin), Carleton University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Corsi), Ottawa, Ont
| | - El Mostafa Bouattane
- Institut du Savoir Montfort (Saginur, Abdulnour, Guérin, Bancroft, Della Zazzera); Faculty of Medicine (Saginur), University of Ottawa; Performance and Decision Support (Abdulnour, Bouattane), Montfort Hospital; Department of Psychology (Guérin), Carleton University, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Corsi), Ottawa, Ont
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Horwitz J, Mardiros L, Musa A, Welch VA, Hodgson A, Narvey M, Ghazzawi A, Shea B, Saginur M. Scoping review of evidence for managing postnatal hypoglycaemia. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e053047. [PMID: 35135768 PMCID: PMC8830267 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To identify what is known empirically about the screening, treatment and harm of exposure to neonatal hypoglycaemia. DESIGN Scoping review that applied a preregistered protocol based on established frameworks. DATA SOURCES Medline and Embase, up to 12 May 2020. STUDY SELECTION Comparative and case-series studies, as well as guidelines, published in English or French, on the topic of immediate inpatient postnatal glucose screening in newborns. DATA GATHERING Article selection and characterisation were performed in duplicate using predefined data extraction forms specific to primary studies and guidelines. RESULTS 12 guidelines and 74 primary studies were included. A neurodevelopmental outcome was primary in 32 studies: 30 observational studies followed up posthypoglycaemic, and the 2 intervention studies included 1 randomised controlled trial (RCT) about treatment thresholds. Three other RCTs assessed dextrose gel (two) and oral sucrose (one). 12 of 30 studies that evaluated non-neurodevelopmental primary outcomes were intervention studies. Only one cohort study compared outcomes in screened vs unscreened newborns. The guidelines did not arrive at a consensus definition of postnatal hypoglycaemic, and addressed potential harms of screening more often than primary studies. CONCLUSIONS The primary literature that informs hypoglycaemia screening is a series of studies that relate neurodevelopmental outcomes to postnatal hypoglycaemia. Further research is needed to better define an optimal threshold for hypoglycaemia that warrants intervention, based on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes and a better delineation of potential screening harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Horwitz
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Linda Mardiros
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ahmed Musa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vivian A Welch
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Michael Narvey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andrea Ghazzawi
- Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beverley Shea
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Saginur
- Montfort Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Saginur M, Fergusson D, Zhang T, Yeates K, Ramsay T, Wells G, Moher D. Journal impact factor, trial effect size, and methodological quality appear scantly related: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev 2020; 9:53. [PMID: 32164791 PMCID: PMC7069162 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-020-01305-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As systematic reviews' limited coverage of the medical literature necessitates decision-making based on unsystematic review, we investigated a possible advantage of systematic review (aside from dataset size and systematic analysis): does systematic review avoid potential bias in sampling primary studies from high impact factor journals? If randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported in higher-impact journals present different treatment benefits than RCTs reported in lower-impact journals, readers who focus on higher-impact journals for their rapid literature reviews may introduce bias which could be mitigated by complete, systematic sampling. METHODS We randomly sampled Cochrane Library (20 July 2005) treatment reviews that measured mortality as a binary outcome, published in English or French, with at least five RCTs with one or more deaths. Our domain-based assessment of risk of bias included funding source, randomness of allocation sequence, blinding, and allocation concealment. The primary analysis employed logistic regression by a generalized linear model with a generalized estimating equation to estimate the association between various factors and publication in a journal with a high journal impact factor (JIF). RESULTS From the 29 included systematic reviews, 189 RCTs contributed data. However, in the primary analyses comparing RCT results within meta-analyses, there was no statistically significant association: unadjusted odds of greater than 50% mortality protection in high-JIF (> 5) journals were 1.4 (95% CI 0.42, 4.4) and adjusted, 2.5 (95% CI 0.6, 10). Elements of study quality were weakly, inconsistently, and not statistically significantly correlated with journal impact factor. CONCLUSIONS Journal impact factor may have little to no association with study results, or methodological quality, but the evidence is very uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Saginur
- Montfort Research Institute, 713 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Dean Fergusson
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Tinghua Zhang
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Karen Yeates
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, 76 Stuart Street, Kingston, K7L 2V7, Canada
| | - Tim Ramsay
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - George Wells
- University of Ottawa Heart Institute, 40 Ruskin St, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 4W7, Canada
| | - David Moher
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, Canada
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Saginur M, AlRefaee FAM, Spady DW, Girgis SAM, Huynh HQ, Prosser CI, Persad R, Turner JM. Antitissue transglutaminase antibody determination versus upper endoscopic biopsy diagnosis of paediatric celiac disease. Paediatr Child Health 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/pch/18.5.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES The primary objectives were to evaluate the quality of development and reporting of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines and to determine the level of evidence underlying the recommendations. METHODS Two reviewers scored each guideline by using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE-II) instrument and determined the level of evidence for each recommendation in each guideline. Subgroup analyses compared AAP guidelines published before and after key changes in AAP guideline development policy and compared internal with endorsed guidelines. RESULTS For the 28 current guidelines, the highest average scores on AGREE-II were in scope and purpose (75%) and clarity of presentation (73%). The lowest average scores were in editorial independence (17%) and applicability (30%). The only domain that improved after AAP policy updates was editorial independence (P = .01). Of the 190 treatment recommendations, 43% were based on experimental studies, 30% on observational studies, and 27% on expert opinion or no reference. Compared with early guidelines, late guidelines included a higher proportion of treatment recommendations based on experimental studies (P = .05). CONCLUSIONS There was no clear improvement in the quality of development and reporting of AAP clinical practice guidelines over time. Routine application of AGREE-II to guideline development could enhance guideline quality. The proportion of guideline recommendations based on experimental evidence has increased slightly over time. Pediatric research agendas should be matched to vital gaps in the evidence underlying pediatric guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Isaac
- Department of Pediatrics and Stollery Children's Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Saginur M, Thiesen A, Lacson A, Bigam D, Yap J. Small intestinal transplant mucosal necrosis associated with enteral sodium polystyrene sulfonate administration. Am J Transplant 2012; 12:3152-4. [PMID: 22900907 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2012.04225.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Diarrhea is a common manifestation of disease in recipients of intestinal transplants. Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate administration has been associated with significant bowel injury. Recognizing the diagnosis requires clinical awareness and comprehensive review of intestinal biopsies. We present an illustrative case and discussion. It is the first reported case in a pediatric intestinal transplant patient with serial intestinal biopsies documenting the evolution of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Saginur
- Division of Pediatric GI & Nutrition, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
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Abstract
BACKGROUND There are many technologies designed to improve medication safety. Although limited evidence supports their use, there are pressures to implement them. OBJECTIVE To determine the uptake of technologies designed to improve medication safety, plans for adopting technologies, attitudes towards technology use, and perceptions of medication error. Methods We performed a cross-sectional survey of pharmacy directors at Canada's 100 largest acute-care hospitals. RESULTS Seventy-eight per cent of surveyed hospitals responded. Responding hospitals averaged 499 beds and 29% were teaching facilities. Hospital frequently used clinical pharmacy services (97% of hospitals), pharmacy-based intravenous admixture services (81%), computerized decision support modules for pharmacy order entry systems (77%), unit-dose drug distribution systems (75%) and computerized medication administration records (67%). Hospitals infrequently used bar-coding (9% of hospitals) and computerized physician order entry (9%). A majority of respondents and hospitals favoured expanded use of new technologies and planned for increased uptake. Respondents chose as their hospital's next investment: automated dispensing (33%), bar-coding (25%) and computerized physician order entry (12%). CONCLUSION Canadian hospitals appear poised to make sizeable investments in poorly evaluated technologies that address medication safety.
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Khadilkar A, Milne S, Brosseau L, Wells G, Tugwell P, Robinson V, Shea B, Saginur M. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a systematic review. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2005; 30:2657-66. [PMID: 16319752 DOI: 10.1097/01.brs.0000188189.21202.0f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Systematic review. OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in the management of chronic LBP. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Chronic low back pain (LBP) affects a significant proportion of the population. TENS was introduced more than 30 years ago as an adjunct to pharmacologic pain management. However, despite its widespread use, the usefulness of TENS in chronic LBP is still controversial. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 2, 2005), up to April 1, 2005. Only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of TENS on chronic LBP were included. Two reviewers independently selected trials and extracted data using predetermined forms. Heterogeneity was tested with Cochrane's Q test. A fixed effect model was used throughout for calculating continuous variables, except where heterogeneity existed, in which case a random effects model was used. Results are presented as weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), where the difference between the treated and control groups was weighted by the inverse of the variance. Standardized mean differences were calculated by dividing the difference between the treated and control by the baseline variance. Standardized mean differences were used when different scales were used to measure the same concept. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios. RESULTS Two RCTs (175 patients) were included. They differed with respect to study design, methodologic quality, inclusion and exclusion criteria, characteristics of TENS application, treatment schedule, cointerventions, and measured outcomes. In one RCT, TENS produced significantly greater pain relief than the placebo control. However, in the other RCT, no statistically significant differences between treatment and control groups were shown for multiple outcome measures. Preplanned subgroup analyses, intended to examine the impact of different stimulation parameters, sites of TENS application, treatment durations, and baseline patient characteristics were not possible because of the small number of included trials. CONCLUSIONS Evidence for the efficacy of TENS as an isolated intervention in the management of chronic LBP is limited and inconsistent. Larger, multicenter, RCTs are needed to better resolve its role in this condition. Increased attention should be given to the risks and benefits of long-term use, which more appropriately addresses the realities of managing chronic low back pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amole Khadilkar
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Khadilkar A, Milne S, Brosseau L, Robinson V, Saginur M, Shea B, Tugwell P, Wells G. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005:CD003008. [PMID: 16034883 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd003008.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic low-back pain (LBP) affects a significant proportion of the population. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was introduced more than 30 years ago as an adjunct to the pharmacological management of pain. However, despite its widespread use, the usefulness of TENS in chronic LBP is still controversial. OBJECTIVES The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of TENS in the management of chronic LBP. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 2, 2005), MEDLINE, EMBASE and PEDro up to April 1, 2005. SELECTION CRITERIA Only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of TENS on chronic LBP were included. Abstracts were excluded unless further data could be obtained from the authors. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers independently selected trials and extracted data using predetermined forms. Heterogeneity was tested with Cochrane's Q test. A fixed effect model was used throughout for calculating continuous variables, except where heterogeneity existed, in which case, a random effects model was used. Results are presented as weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), where the difference between the treated and control groups was weighted by the inverse of the variance. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated by dividing the difference between the treated and control by the baseline variance. SMD were used when different scales were used to measure the same concept. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios. MAIN RESULTS The only two RCTs (175 patients) meeting eligibility criteria differed in study design, methodological quality, inclusion and exclusion criteria, type and method of TENS application, treatment schedule, co-interventions and final outcomes. In one RCT, TENS produced significantly greater pain relief than the placebo control. However, in the other RCT, no statistically significant differences between treatment and control groups were shown for multiple outcome measures. Pre-planned subgroup analyses, intended to examine the impact of different stimulation parameters, sites of TENS application, treatment durations and baseline patient characteristics were not possible due to the small number of included trials. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS There is inconsistent evidence to support the use of TENS as a single treatment in the management of chronic LBP. Larger, multi-center, randomized controlled trials are needed to better assess the true effectiveness of TENS. Special attention should be given to the risks and benefits of long-term use, which more appropriately addresses the realities of managing chronic low-back pain.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Low back pain (LBP) affects a large proportion of the population. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was introduced more than 30 years ago as an alternative therapy to pharmacological treatments for chronic pain. However, despite its widespread use, the effectiveness of TENS is still controversial. OBJECTIVES The aim of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy of TENS in the treatment of chronic LBP. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to June 1, 2000. SELECTION CRITERIA Only randomized controlled clinical trials of TENS for the treatment of patients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic LBP were included. Abstracts were excluded unless further data could be obtained from the authors. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers independently selected trials and extracted data using predetermined forms. Heterogeneity was tested with Cochran's Q test. A fixed effects model was used throughout for continuous variables, except where heterogeneity existed, in which case, a random effects model was used. Results are presented as weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), where the difference between the treated and control groups was weighted by the inverse of the variance. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated by dividing the difference between the treated and control by the baseline variance. SMD were used when different scales were used to measure the same concept. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios. MAIN RESULTS Five trials were included, with 170 subjects randomized to the placebo group receiving sham-TENS and 251 subjects receiving active TENS (153 for conventional mode, 98 for acupuncture-like TENS). The schedule of treatments varied greatly between studies ranging from one treatment/day for two consecutive days, to three treatments/day for four weeks. There were no statistically significant differences between the active TENS group when compared to the placebo TENS group for any outcome measures. Subgroup analysis performed on TENS application and methodological quality did not demonstrate a significant statistical difference. Remaining pre-planned subgroup analysis was not conducted due to the small number of included trials and the variety of outcome measures reported. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS The results of the meta-analysis present no evidence to support the use of TENS in the treatment of chronic low back pain. Clinicians and researchers should consistently report the characteristics of the TENS device and the application techniques used. New trials on TENS should make use of standardized outcome measures. This meta-analysis lacked data on how TENS effectiveness is affected by four important factors: type of applications, site of application, treatment duration of TENS, optimal frequencies and intensities.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Milne
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H-8M5.
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