Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28495811›Full record

Trial reportBMJ open2017

Randomised controlled trial of online continuing education for health professionals to improve the management of chronic fatigue syndrome: a study protocol.

Sophie H Li, Carolina X Sandler, Sally M Casson, Joanne Cassar, Tina Bogg, Andrew R Lloyd, Benjamin K Barry

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 46% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. 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

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Sophie H LiSchool of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Carolina X SandlerSchool of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Sally M CassonSchool of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Joanne CassarSchool of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Tina BoggSchool of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Andrew R LloydThe Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Benjamin K BarrySchool of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
UNSW Sydney · AUUniversity of Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a serious and debilitating illness that affects between 0.2%-2.6% of the world's population. Although there is level 1 evidence of the benefit of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) for some people with CFS, uptake of these interventions is low or at best untimely. This can be partly attributed to poor clinician awareness and knowledge of CFS and related CBT and GET interventions. This trial aims to evaluate the effect of participation in an online education programme, compared with a wait-list control group, on allied health professionals' knowledge about evidence-based CFS interventions and their levels of confidence to engage in the dissemination of these interventions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised controlled trial consisting of 180 consenting allied health professionals will be conducted. Participants will be randomised into an intervention group (n=90) that will receive access to the online education programme, or a wait-list control group (n=90). The primary outcomes will be: 1) knowledge and clinical reasoning skills regarding CFS and its management, measured at baseline, postintervention and follow-up, and 2) self-reported confidence in knowledge and clinical reasoning skills related to CFS. Secondary outcomes include retention of knowledge and satisfaction with the online education programme. The influence of the education programme on clinical practice behaviour, and self-reported success in the management of people with CFS, will also be assessed in a cohort study design with participants from the intervention and control groups combined. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at The University of New South Wales (approval number HC16419). Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal articles and presentations at scientific conferences and meetings.

trial registrationACTRN12616000296437.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeInternetAllied Health PersonnelAustraliaCognitive Behavioral TherapyDisease ManagementEducation, ContinuingExercise TherapyFatigue Syndrome, ChronicHumansResearch DesignSelf Reportchronic fatigue syndromecognitive behaviour therapyeducationgraded exercise therapyonlinerandomised controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID28495811
PMCPMC5541332
OpenAlexW2613065621

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.