SynthesisPloS one2012
How well do randomized trials inform decision making: systematic review using comparative effectiveness research measures on acupuncture for back pain.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Management of patients with cancer pain: an evaluation of AGREE II-based clinical practice guidelines.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of Pragmatic and Explanatory Trials.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effectiveness guidance document (EGD) for Chinese medicine trials: a consensus document.Trials · 2014Guideline
- Scalp acupuncture for Parkinson's disease: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2013Pooled it
- Adjunctive acupuncture for pain and symptom management in the inpatient setting: protocol for a pilot hybrid effectiveness-implementation study.Journal of integrative medicine · 2016Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Acupuncture induces divergent alterations of functional connectivity within conventional frequency bands: evidence from MEG recordings.PloS one · 2012Trial
- Using PRECIS-2 in Chinese herbal medicine randomized controlled trials for irritable bowel syndrome: A methodological exploration based on literature.Integrative medicine research · 2024Article
- Applying the PRECIS-2 tool for self-declared 'pragmatic' acupuncture trials: protocol for a systematic review.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Electroacupuncture Alters BCI-Based Brain Network in Stroke Patients.Computational intelligence and neuroscience · 2022Article
- Trends in the Explanatory or Pragmatic Nature of Cardiovascular Clinical Trials Over 2 Decades.JAMA cardiology · 2019Review
- A comparison of meta-analytic methods for synthesizing evidence from explanatory and pragmatic trials.Systematic reviews · 2018Article
- Comparative effectiveness trials in asthma - how will I recognize one?Current opinion in pulmonary medicine · 2018Review
- The application of PRECIS-2 ratings in randomized controlled trials of Chinese herbal medicine.Oncotarget · 2017Article
- Article
- Rating of Included Trials on the Efficacy-Effectiveness Spectrum: development of a new tool for systematic reviews.Journal of clinical epidemiology · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFor Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) there is a need to develop scales for appraisal of available clinical research. Aims were to 1) test the feasibility of applying the pragmatic-explanatory continuum indicator summary tool and the six CER defining characteristics of the Institute of Medicine to RCTs of acupuncture for treatment of low back pain, and 2) evaluate the extent to which the evidence from these RCTs is relevant to clinical and health policy decision making.
methodsWe searched Medline, the AcuTrials™ Database to February 2011 and reference lists and included full-report randomized trials in English that compared needle acupuncture with a conventional treatment in adults with non-specific acute and/or chronic low back pain and restricted to those with ≥30 patients in the acupuncture group. Papers were evaluated by 5 raters. PRINCIPAL
findingsFrom 119 abstracts, 44 full-text publications were screened and 10 trials (4,901 patients) were evaluated. Due to missing information and initial difficulties in operationalizing the scoring items, the first scoring revealed inter-rater and inter-item variance (intraclass correlations 0.02-0.60), which improved after consensus discussions to 0.20-1.00. The 10 trials were found to cover the efficacy-effectiveness continuum; those with more flexible acupuncture and no placebo control scored closer to effectiveness.
conclusionBoth instruments proved useful, but need further development. In addition, CONSORT guidelines for reporting pragmatic trials should be expanded. Most studies in this review already reflect the movement towards CER and similar approaches can be taken to evaluate comparative effectiveness relevance of RCTs for other treatments.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.