ArticleBMC health services research2017
Specialist treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/ME: a cohort study among adult patients in England.
Article in BMC health services research, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cost-effectiveness of Interventions for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Systematic Review of Economic Evaluations.Applied health economics and health policy · 2021Pooled it
- Associations Between Psychological and Immunological Variables in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Physical function and psychosocial outcomes after a 6-month self-paced aquatic exercise program for individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.European journal of applied physiology · 2025Trial
- The Draft Report by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare Does Not Provide Any Evidence That Graded Exercise Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Are Safe and Effective Treatments for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Focus on post-exertional malaise when approaching ME/CFS in specialist healthcare improves satisfaction and reduces deterioration.Frontiers in neurology · 2023Article
- One-year follow-up of young people with ME/CFS following infectious mononucleosis by Epstein-Barr virus.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Article
- Factors Influencing the Prognosis of Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Is It Useful to Question the Recovery Behaviour of Patients with ME/CFS or Long COVID?Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Impact of Life Stressors on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms: An Australian Longitudinal Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Measuring improvement and deterioration in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: the pitfalls of the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire.Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine · 2021Article
- Treating medically unexplained symptoms via improving access to psychological therapy (IAPT): major limitations identified.BMC psychology · 2020Review
- Elevated blood lactate in resting conditions correlate with post-exertional malaise severity in patients with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Work Rehabilitation and Medical Retirement for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients. A Review and Appraisal of Diagnostic Strategies.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2019Review
- The Importance of Accurate Diagnosis of ME/CFS in Children and Adolescents: A Commentary.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2018Article
- Cognitive behavioural therapy for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is not effective. Re-analysis of a Cochrane review.Health psychology openReview
- The 'cognitive behavioural model' of chronic fatigue syndrome: Critique of a flawed model.Health psychology openArticle
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundNHS specialist chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) services in England treat approximately 8000 adult patients each year. Variation in therapy programmes and treatment outcomes across services has not been described.
methodsWe described treatments provided by 11 CFS/ME specialist services and we measured changes in patient-reported fatigue (Chalder, Checklist Individual Strength), function (SF-36 physical subscale, Work & Social Adjustment Scale), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale), pain (visual analogue rating), sleep (Epworth, Jenkins), and overall health (Clinical Global Impression) 1 year after the start of treatment, plus questions about impact of CFS/ME on employment, education/training and domestic tasks/unpaid work. A subset of these outcome measures was collected from former patients 2-5 years after assessment at 7 of the 11 specialist services.
resultsBaseline data at clinical assessment were available for 952 patients, of whom 440 (46.2%) provided 1-year follow-up data. Treatment data were available for 435/440 (98.9%) of these patients, of whom 175 (40.2%) had been discharged at time of follow-up. Therapy programmes varied substantially in mode of delivery (individual or group) and number of sessions. Overall change in health 1 year after first attending specialist services was 'very much' or 'much better' for 27.5% (115/418) of patients, 'a little better' for 36.6% (153/418), 'no change' for 15.8% (66/418), 'a little worse' for 12.2% (51/418), and 'worse' or 'very much worse' for 7.9% (33/418). Among former patients who provided 2- to 5-year follow-up (30.4% (385/1265)), these proportions were 30.4% (117/385), 27.5% (106/385), 11.4% (44/385), 13.5% (52/385), and 17.1% (66/385), respectively. 85.4% (327/383) of former patients responded "Yes" to "Do you think that you are still suffering from CFS/ME?" 8.9% (34/383) were "Uncertain", and 5.7% (22/383) responded "No".
conclusionsThis multi-centre NHS study has shown that, although one third of patients reported substantial overall improvement in their health, CFS/ME is a long term condition that persists for the majority of adult patients even after receiving specialist treatment.
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Registered trials
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