Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27650788›Full record

Trial reportBMC medical informatics and decision making2016

Comprehension of confidence intervals - development and piloting of patient information materials for people with multiple sclerosis: qualitative study and pilot randomised controlled trial.

Anne C Rahn, Imke Backhus, Franz Fuest, Karin Riemann-Lorenz, Sascha Köpke, Adrianus van de Roemer, Ingrid Mühlhauser, Christoph Heesen

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Information provision for people with multiple sclerosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Article
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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Anne C RahnInstitute for Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis and Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Anne.Rahn@uni-hamburg.de.
Imke BackhusInstitute for Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis and Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Franz FuestUnit of Health Sciences and Education, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Karin Riemann-LorenzNursing Research Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Sascha KöpkeNursing Research Unit, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Adrianus van de RoemerInstitut für Didaktik in der Medizin, Michelstadt, Germany.
Ingrid MühlhauserUnit of Health Sciences and Education, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Christoph HeesenInstitute for Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis and Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Universität Hamburg · DEUniversity Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf · DEUniversity of Lübeck · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPresentation of confidence intervals alongside information about treatment effects can support informed treatment choices in people with multiple sclerosis. We aimed to develop and pilot-test different written patient information materials explaining confidence intervals in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Further, a questionnaire on comprehension of confidence intervals was developed and piloted.

methodsWe developed different patient information versions aiming to explain confidence intervals. We used an illustrative example to test three different approaches: (1) short version, (2) "average weight" version and (3) "worm prophylaxis" version. Interviews were conducted using think-aloud and teach-back approaches to test feasibility and analysed using qualitative content analysis. To assess comprehension of confidence intervals, a six-item multiple choice questionnaire was developed and tested in a pilot randomised controlled trial using the online survey software UNIPARK. Here, the average weight version (intervention group) was tested against a standard patient information version on confidence intervals (control group). People with multiple sclerosis were invited to take part using existing mailing-lists of people with multiple sclerosis in Germany and were randomised using the UNIPARK algorithm. Participants were blinded towards group allocation. Primary endpoint was comprehension of confidence intervals, assessed with the six-item multiple choice questionnaire with six points representing perfect knowledge.

resultsFeasibility of the patient information versions was tested with 16 people with multiple sclerosis. For the pilot randomised controlled trial, 64 people with multiple sclerosis were randomised (intervention group: n = 36; control group: n = 28). More questions were answered correctly in the intervention group compared to the control group (mean 4.8 vs 3.8, mean difference 1.1 (95 % CI 0.42-1.69), p = 0.002). The questionnaire's internal consistency was moderate (Cronbach's alpha = 0.56).

conclusionsThe pilot-phase shows promising results concerning acceptability and feasibility. Pilot randomised controlled trial results indicate that the patient information is well understood and that knowledge gain on confidence intervals can be assessed with a set of six questions.

trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00008561 . Registered 8th of June 2015.

Indexed as

Consumer Health InformationHealth Services AccessibilityMultiple SclerosisPatient Education as TopicStatistics as TopicAdultFeasibility StudiesHumansPilot ProjectsQualitative ResearchConfidence intervalInterviewMultiple sclerosisPatient informationPilot randomised controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID27650788
PMCPMC5029009
OpenAlexW2522958836

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.