Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Used for Neck Disorders: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.

Background: The evaluation of patient-reported outcome measures for the neck from multiple systematic reviews will provide a broader view of, and may identify potential conflicting or consistent results for, their psychometric properties.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to conduct an overview of systematic reviews and synthesize evidence to establish the current state of knowledge on psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome measures for patients with neck disorders.

Methods: In this overview of systematic reviews, an electronic search of 6 databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, ILC, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and LILACS) was conducted to identify reviews that addressed at least one measurement property of outcome measures for people with neck pain.

A protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial using the Health Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality (Health TAPESTRY) platform approach to promote person-focused primary healthcare for older adults.

Background: Healthcare systems are not well designed to help people maintain or improve their health. They are generally not person-focused or well-coordinated. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Health Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality (Health TAPESTRY) approach in older adults.

Pharmacological, psychological, and patient education interventions for patients with neck pain: results of an international survey.

Background: Examination of practice patterns compared to existing evidence identifies knowledge to practice gaps.

Objectives: To describe the utilization of pharmacological, patient education, primary psychological interventions and relaxation therapies in patients with neck pain by clinicians.

Methods: An international cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the use of these interventions amongst 326 clinicians treating patients with neck pain.

Performance of BNP and NT-proBNP for diagnosis of heart failure in primary care patients: a systematic review.

National and international guidelines have been published recommending the use of natriuretic peptides as an aid to the diagnosis of heart failure (HF) in acute settings; however, few specific recommendations exist for governing the use of these peptides in primary care populations. To summarize the available data relevant to the diagnosis of HF in primary care patient population, we systematically reviewed the literature to identify original articles that investigated the diagnostic accuracy of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) in primary care settings. The search yielded 25,864 articles in total: 12 investigating BNP and 20 investigating NT-proBNP were relevant to our objective and included in the review.

Use of BNP and NT-proBNP for the diagnosis of heart failure in the emergency department: a systematic review of the evidence.

Our purpose was to determine the test performance characteristics of BNP and NT-proBNP in the diagnosis of heart failure for patients presenting to an emergency department or urgent care center. We searched Medline, Embase, AMED, Cochrane, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CINAHL for English-language articles published between 1989 and June 2012. Studies were limited to those using FDA-approved assays.

Treatment preferences amongst physical therapists and chiropractors for the management of neck pain: results of an international survey.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines on the management of neck pain make recommendations to help practitioners optimize patient care. By examining the practice patterns of practitioners, adherence to CPGs or lack thereof, is demonstrated. Understanding utilization of various treatments by practitioners and comparing these patterns to that of recommended guidelines is important to identify gaps for knowledge translation and improve treatment regimens.

Determining adverse events in patients with neck pain receiving orthopaedic manual physiotherapy: a pilot and feasibility study.

Purpose: To pilot and determine the feasibility of estimating adverse events in patients with neck pain treated with cervical manipulation/mobilization by Canadian orthopaedic manual physiotherapists (OMPTs) using an online data-collection system to provide estimates for a future larger multi-centre international study.

Methods: In a prospective multi-site two-group cohort study, participants received usual care and either (a) combined manipulation and mobilization or (b) mobilization only. Study feasibility objectives and criteria for success were set a priori.

Beliefs and practice patterns in spinal manipulation and spinal motion palpation reported by canadian manipulative physiotherapists.

Purpose: This practice survey describes how Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapy (FCAMPT) use spinal manipulation and mobilization and how they perceive their competence in performing spinal assessment; it also quantifies relationships between clinical experience and use of spinal manipulation.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was designed based on input from experts and the literature was administered to a random sample of the FCAMPT mailing list. Descriptive (including frequencies) and inferential statistical analyses (including linear regression) were performed.

Pharmacological Interventions Including Medical Injections for Neck Pain: An Overview as Part of the ICON Project.

Objectives: To conduct an overview (review-of-reviews) on pharmacological interventions for neck pain.

Search Strategy: Computerized databases and grey literature were searched from 2006 to 2012.

Selection Criteria: Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCT) in adults with acute to chronic neck pain reporting effects of pharmacological interventions including injections on pain, function/disability, global perceived effect, quality of life and patient satisfaction.

An ICON Overview on Physical Modalities for Neck Pain and Associated Disorders.

Introduction: Neck pain is common, can be disabling and is costly to society. Physical modalities are often included in neck rehabilitation programs. Interventions may include thermal, electrotherapy, ultrasound, mechanical traction, laser and acupuncture.

Psychological Care, Patient Education, Orthotics, Ergonomics and Prevention Strategies for Neck Pain: An Systematic Overview Update as Part of the ICON Project.

Objectives: To conduct an overview on psychological interventions, orthoses, patient education, ergonomics, and 1⁰/2⁰ neck pain prevention for adults with acute-chronic neck pain.

Search Strategy: Computerized databases and grey literature were searched (2006-2012).

Selection Criteria: Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on pain, function/disability, global perceived effect, quality-of-life and patient satisfaction were retrieved.

Use of outcome measures in managing neck pain: an international multidisciplinary survey.

Purpose: To determine the outcome measures practice patterns in the neck pain management of various health disciplines.

Methods: A survey of 381 clinicians treating patients with neck pain was conducted.

Results: Respondents were more commonly male (54%) and either chiropractors (44%) or physiotherapists (32%).

An Overview of Systematic Reviews on Prognostic Factors in Neck Pain: Results from the International Collaboration on Neck Pain (ICON) Project.

Given the challenges of chronic musculoskeletal pain and disability, establishing a clear prognosis in the acute stage has become increasingly recognized as a valuable approach to mitigate chronic problems. Neck pain represents a condition that is common, potentially disabling, and has a high rate of transition to chronic or persistent problems. As a field of research, prognosis in neck pain has stimulated several empirical primary research papers, and a number of systematic reviews.

A description of the methodology used in an overview of reviews to evaluate evidence on the treatment, harms, diagnosis/classification, prognosis and outcomes used in the management of neck pain.

Background: Neck Pain (NP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder and the literature provides conflicting evidence about its management.

Objective: To describe the methodology used to conduct an overview of reviews (OvR) and to characterize the distribution and risk of bias profiles across the evidence for all areas of NP management.

Methods: Standard systematic review (SR) methodology was employed.

Results of an International Survey of Practice Patterns for Establishing Prognosis in Neck Pain: The ICON Project.

Results of an international survey of health care providers for neck pain are reported. The survey specifically collected self-reported practice patterns for establishing a prognosis in neck pain. Over 440 responses from 27 countries were collected.

A survey of patient's perceptions of what is "adverse" in manual physiotherapy and predicting who is likely to say so.

Objectives: The primary objective was to describe the patient perspective regarding the identification and occurrence of adverse responses related to manual therapy. A secondary objective evaluated predictors of the incidence rate of adverse responses identified by patients receiving manual physiotherapy.

Study Design And Setting: A cross-sectional survey of patients receiving manual physiotherapy recruited by physiotherapists in Canada was conducted.

Testing the risk of bias tool showed low reliability between individual reviewers and across consensus assessments of reviewer pairs.

Objectives: To assess the reliability of the Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) tool between individual raters and across consensus agreements of pairs of reviewers and examine the impact of study-level factors on reliability.

Study Design And Setting: Two reviewers assessed risk of bias for 154 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). For 30 RCTs, two reviewers from each of four centers assessed risk of bias and reached consensus.

Chapter 5: assessing risk of bias as a domain of quality in medical test studies.

Assessing methodological quality is a necessary activity for any systematic review, including those evaluating the evidence for studies of medical test performance. Judging the overall quality of an individual study involves examining the size of the study, the direction and degree of findings, the relevance of the study, and the risk of bias in the form of systematic error, internal validity, and other study limitations. In this chapter of the Methods Guide for Medical Test Reviews, we focus on the evaluation of risk of bias in the form of systematic error in an individual study as a distinctly important component of quality in studies of medical test performance, specifically in the context of estimating test performance (sensitivity and specificity).