ArticleFrontiers in psychology2023
An international consensus definition for contextual factors: findings from a nominal group technique.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06361472 (A Two-Center, Investigator-Blinded, Randomized, 4-Week, Parallel-Group, Superiority Study Comparing Contextual Factors-Enriched Standard Care Versus Standard Care Only for Patients With Mechanical Neck Pain), which is not on this map. Cited by 45 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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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.
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.
A Two-Center, Investigator-Blinded, Randomized, 4-Week, Parallel-Group, Superiority Study Comparing Contextual Factors-Enriched Standard Care Versus Standard Care Only for Patients With Mechanical Neck Pain (ContextualizAR Trial)
Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Placebo and Nocebo Effects in Motor Performance: An Overview of Reviews.Brain and behavior · 2025Pooled it
- Guideline
- Combining various acupuncture therapies with multimodal analgesia to enhance postoperative pain management following total knee arthroplasty: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Global trends and performance of dry needling from 2004 to 2024: a bibliometric analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of yoga for the management of chronic low back pain: an overview of systematic reviews.Frontiers in neurology · 2023Pooled it
- Trial
- Does radial shockwave therapy lead to immediate improvements in pain in people with insertional Achilles tendinopathy? A randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitation · 2026Trial
- Article
- Short-Term Effect of Negative Verbal Language Versus Positive Verbal Language on Physical and Functional Capacity and Pain in People With Chronic Primary Low Back Pain.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2026Article
- Stakeholders' perspectives on integrating point-of-care diagnostics into forensic death investigations in South Africa.Journal of forensic sciences · 2026Article
- A Comprehensive Scientometric Analysis of Placebo and Nocebo Effects in Pain Research: From Placebo Mechanisms to Clinical Trials.Journal of evaluation in clinical practice · 2026Review
- More than Rehabilitation: The Role of Contextual Factors in Pain Perception and Recovery: What the Physiotherapy Literature Reports-A Narrative Review with a Systematic Search Strategy.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Prediction, pain, and the power of context: toward a contemporary identity for the chiropractic profession.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2026Review
- Visual monitoring in real-time improves consistency of 3D IASTM force applied to humans.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2026Observational
- Observational
- Electrochemical Sensors as a Tool for Taste Perception in Pharmaceutical Products: Advances and Perspectives.Biosensors · 2026Review
- Considerations for Issues of Regression to the Mean and Contextual Effects in Clinical Trials for Pain in Rheumatic Diseases.Arthritis care & research · 2026Review
- Receiving preferred treatments may improve low back pain outcomes: a non-randomized comparative study.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- From placebos and shams to high-quality control interventions in manual therapy trials to study efficacy and mechanisms.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2025Article
- How hospital doctors respond to contextual factors revealed by older patients with heart failure in hospital interactions: an interaction-based study.BMC health services research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Objective: Emerging literature suggests contextual factors are important components of therapeutic encounters and may substantially influence clinical outcomes of a treatment intervention. At present, a single consensus definition of contextual factors, which is universal across all health-related conditions is lacking. The objective of this study was to create a consensus definition of contextual factors to better refine this concept for clinicians and researchers. Design: The study used a multi-stage virtual Nominal Group Technique (vNGT) to create and rank contextual factor definitions. Nominal group techniques are a form of consensus-based research, and are beneficial for identifying problems, exploring solutions and establishing priorities. Setting: International. Main outcome measures: The initial stages of the vNGT resulted in the creation of 14 independent contextual factor definitions. After a prolonged discussion period, the initial definitions were heavily modified, and 12 final definitions were rank ordered by the vNGT participants from first to last. Participants: The 10 international vNGT participants had a variety of clinical backgrounds and research specializations and were all specialists in contextual factors research. Results: A sixth round was used to identify a final consensus, which reflected the complexity of contextual factors and included three primary domains: (1) an overall definition; (2) qualifiers that serve as examples of the key areas of the definition; and (3) how contextual factors may influence clinical outcomes. Conclusion: Our consensus definition of contextual factors seeks to improve the understanding and communication between clinicians and researchers. These are especially important in recognizing their potential role in moderating and/or mediating clinical outcomes.
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Registered trials
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.