Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36379663›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

Study protocol for the Multiple Symptoms Study 3: a pragmatic, randomised controlled trial of a clinic for patients with persistent (medically unexplained) physical symptoms.

Cara Mooney, David Alexander White, Jeremy Dawson, Vincent Deary, Kate Fryer, Monica Greco, Michelle Horspool, Aileen Neilson, Gillian Rowlands, Tom Sanders and 4 more

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. 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
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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

14 authors.

Cara MooneyClinical Trials Research Unit, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK c.d.mooney@sheffield.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-3086-7348
David Alexander WhiteClinical Trials Research Unit, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Jeremy DawsonSheffield University Management School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9365-8586
Vincent DearyPsychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK.
Kate FryerAcademic Unit of Primary Medical Care, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Monica GrecoDepartment of Sociology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK.
Michelle HorspoolNHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, Sheffield, UK.
Aileen NeilsonUsher Institute, University of Edinburgh Division of Medical and Radiological Sciences, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3758-0566
Gillian RowlandsPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University Institute for Health and Society, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Tom SandersSocial Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Ruth E ThomasCentre for Healthcare Randomised Trials (CHaRT) Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Steve ThomasNHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, Sheffield, UK.
Waquas WaheedCentre for Primary Care, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Christopher D BurtonAcademic Unit of Primary Medical Care, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0233-2431

Funding

Chief Scientist Office HSRU1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPersistent physical symptoms (which cannot be adequately attributed to physical disease) affect around 1 million people (2% of adults) in the UK. They affect patients' quality of life and account for at least one third of referrals from General Practitioners (GPs) to specialists. These referrals give patients little benefit but have a real cost to health services time and diagnostic resources. The symptoms clinic has been designed to help people make sense of persistent physical symptoms (especially if medical tests have been negative) and to reduce the impact of symptoms on daily life. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial will assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the symptoms clinic intervention plus usual care compared with usual care alone. Patients were identified through GP searches and mail-outs and recruited by the central research team. 354 participants were recruited and individually randomised (1:1). The primary outcome is the self-reported Physical Health Questionnaire-15 at 52 weeks postrandomisation. Secondary outcome measures include the EuroQol 5 dimension 5 level and healthcare resource use. Outcome measures will also be collected at 13 and 26 weeks postrandomisation. A process evaluation will be conducted including consultation content analysis and interviews with participants and key stakeholders. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been obtained via Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee (Reference 18/NW/0422). The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, presented at relevant conferences and disseminated to trial participants and patient interest groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN57050216.

Indexed as

Medically Unexplained SymptomsQuality of LifeAdultCost-Benefit AnalysisHumansMulticenter Studies as TopicPragmatic Clinical Trials as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicReferral and ConsultationSurveys and QuestionnairesGENERAL MEDICINE (see Internal Medicine)INTERNAL MEDICINEPRIMARY CARE

Identifiers

PMID36379663
PMCPMC9668014

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.