Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24492159›Full record

Trial reportPatient education and counseling2014

Patient preferences and performance bias in a weight loss trial with a usual care arm.

Jim McCambridge, Annik Sorhaindo, Alan Quirk, Kiran Nanchahal

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Patient education and counseling, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jim McCambridgeDepartment of Social & Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK. Electronic address: Jim.McCambridge@lshtm.ac.uk.
Annik SorhaindoDepartment of Social & Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK.
Alan QuirkRoyal College of Psychiatrists' Centre for Quality Improvement, London E1 8AA, UK.
Kiran NanchahalDepartment of Social & Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, UK.

Funding

Wellcome Trust WT086516MA
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis qualitative study examines performance bias, i.e. unintended differences between groups, in the context of a weight loss trial in which a novel patient counseling program was compared to usual care in general practice.

methods14/381 consecutive interviewees (6 intervention group, 8 control group) within the CAMWEL (Camden Weight Loss) effectiveness trial process study were asked about their engagement with various features of the research study and a thematic content analysis undertaken.

resultsDecisions to participate were interwoven with decisions to change behavior, to the extent that for many participants the two were synonymous. The intervention group were satisfied with their allocation. The control group spoke of their disappointment at having been offered usual care when they had taken part in the trial to access new forms of help. Reactions to disappointment involved both movements toward and away from behavior change.

conclusionThere is a prima facie case that reactions to disappointment may introduce bias, as they lead the randomized groups to differ in ways other than the intended experimental contrast. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: In-depth qualitative studies nested within trials are needed to understand better the processes through which bias may be introduced.

Indexed as

CounselingPatient Outcome AssessmentPatient PreferencePatient SatisfactionWeight LossAdultFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleObesityPatient Education as TopicQualitative ResearchBehavior changeDisappointmentPatient counselingPatient preferencesPerformance biasResearch participationWeight loss

Identifiers

PMID24492159
PMCPMC3994506

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.