Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38321322›Full record

ArticleArchives of osteoporosis2024

An online clinical decision tool to screen for vertebral fragility fractures (Vfrac) in older women presenting with back pain in general practice: protocol for a feasibility study in preparation for a future cluster randomised controlled trial.

Tanzeela Y Khalid, Tim J Peters, Lucy V Pocock, Sarah Drew, Sarah A Hardcastle, Zoe Paskins, Sarah Davis, Eleni P Kariki, Emma M Clark

Open access · hybridAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of osteoporosis, 2024. 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
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 22% 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, 3 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

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Tanzeela Y KhalidMusculoskeletal Research Unit, Translational Health Sciences, Learning and Research Building, Southmead Hospital, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS10 5NB, UK. t.khalid@bristol.ac.uk.
Tim J PetersBristol Dental School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Lucy V PocockPopulation Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Sarah DrewMusculoskeletal Research Unit, Translational Health Sciences, Learning and Research Building, Southmead Hospital, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS10 5NB, UK.
Sarah A HardcastleMusculoskeletal Research Unit, Translational Health Sciences, Learning and Research Building, Southmead Hospital, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS10 5NB, UK.
Zoe PaskinsSchool of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.
Sarah DavisSchool of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Eleni P KarikiSchool of Allied Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK.
Emma M ClarkMusculoskeletal Research Unit, Translational Health Sciences, Learning and Research Building, Southmead Hospital, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS10 5NB, UK.
University of Bristol · GBKeele University · GBSouthmead Hospital · GBUniversity of Sheffield · GB

Funding

Research for Patient Benefit Programme NIHR203026
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This feasibility study for a future definitive randomized trial assesses the use and acceptability of a new clinical decision tool to identify risk of a vertebral fracture and those who should be referred for spinal radiography in women aged 65 or over presenting to primary care with back pain. PURPOSE: Approximately 12% of older adults have vertebral fragility fractures, but currently fewer than one-third are diagnosed, potentially limiting access to bone protection treatment. Vfrac is a vertebral fracture screening tool which classifies individuals into high or low risk of having a vertebral fracture, allowing targeting of spinal radiographs to high-risk individuals. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of conducting a cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the use of an online version of Vfrac in primary care.

methodsThe study will run in six general practices, with three given the Vfrac tool for use on older women (> 65 years) consulting with back pain and three using standard clinical processes for managing such back pain. Anonymised data covering a 12-month period will be collected from all sites on consultations by older women with back pain. Focus groups will be undertaken with healthcare professionals and patients on whom the tool was used to understand the acceptability of Vfrac and identify factors that impact its use. These patients will be sent a paper version of the Vfrac questionnaire to self-complete at home. Outputs of the self-completion Vfrac (high versus low risk) will be compared with the face-to-face Vfrac (high versus low risk), and agreement assessed using Cohen's kappa.

resultsThis study will evaluate the use and acceptability of Vfrac within primary care and determine if data on resource use can be collected accurately and comprehensively.

conclusionsThis article describes the protocol of the Vfrac feasibility study.

trial registrationISRCTN18000119 (registered 01/03/2022) and ISRCTN12150779 (registered 10/01/2022).

Indexed as

General PracticeSpinal FracturesAgedBack PainFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRiskBack painOsteoporosisVertebral fracturesVfrac

Identifiers

PMID38321322
PMCPMC10847189
OpenAlexW4392733543

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.