The smoking cessation in pregnancy incentives trial (CPIT): study protocol for a phase III randomised controlled trial.

Background: Eighty per cent of UK women have at least one baby, making pregnancy an opportunity to help women stop smoking before their health is irreparably compromised. Smoking cessation during pregnancy helps protect infants from miscarriage, still birth, low birth weight, asthma, attention deficit disorder and adult cardiovascular disease. UK national guidelines highlight lack of evidence for effectiveness of financial incentives to help pregnant smokers quit.

AVURT: aspirin versus placebo for the treatment of venous leg ulcers - a Phase II pilot randomised controlled trial.

Background: Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most common cause of leg ulceration, affecting 1 in 100 adults. VLUs may take many months to heal (25% fail to heal). Estimated prevalence is between 1% and 3% of the elderly population.

An economic evaluation of Alexander Technique lessons or acupuncture sessions for patients with chronic neck pain: A randomized trial (ATLAS).

Objectives: To assess the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture and usual care, and Alexander Technique lessons and usual care, compared with usual GP care alone for chronic neck pain patients.

Methods: An economic evaluation was undertaken alongside the ATLAS trial, taking both NHS and wider societal viewpoints. Participants were offered up to twelve acupuncture sessions or twenty Alexander lessons (equivalent overall contact time).

Acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome: 2-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial.

Background: A recent randomised controlled trial (RCT) of acupuncture as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) demonstrated sustained benefits over a period of 12 months post-randomisation.

Aim: To extend the trial follow-up to evaluate the effects of acupuncture at 24 months post-randomisation.

Methods: Patients in primary care with ongoing IBS were recruited to a two-arm pragmatic RCT of acupuncture for IBS.

Aspirin for Venous Ulcers: Randomised Trial (AVURT): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the commonest cause of leg ulceration, affecting 1 in 100 adults. There is a significant health burden associated with VLUs - it is estimated that the cost of treatment for 1 ulcer is up to £1300 per year in the NHS. The mainstay of treatment is with graduated compression bandaging; however, treatment is often prolonged and up to one quarter of venous leg ulcers do not heal despite standard care.

Alexander Technique Lessons or Acupuncture Sessions for Persons With Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Trial.

Background: Management of chronic neck pain may benefit from additional active self-care-oriented approaches.

Objective: To evaluate clinical effectiveness of Alexander Technique lessons or acupuncture versus usual care for persons with chronic, nonspecific neck pain.

Design: Three-group randomized, controlled trial.

Muslim communities learning about second-hand smoke: a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: In the United Kingdom, men of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin have higher smoking rates than the general population. This makes non-smokers in their households more vulnerable to second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure than the general population.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of implementing and pilot testing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a 'Smoke-free Homes' (SFH) intervention in Islamic religious settings to encourage families of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin to apply smoking restrictions in their homes.

Randomized trial within a trial of yellow 'post-it notes' did not improve questionnaire response rates among participants in a trial of treatments for neck pain.

Rationale: Attrition is a threat to the validity of randomized trials. Few randomized studies have been conducted within randomized trials to test methods of reducing attrition.

Aim: To test whether using yellow post-it notes on follow-up questionnaires in the ATLAS treatment trial for neck pain reduces attrition.

Short message service text messaging was feasible as a tool for data collection in a trial of treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.

Objectives: To examine the feasibility of collecting data relating to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), symptoms by short message service (SMS) text and explore the data to assess its usefulness.

Study Design And Setting: In a randomized parallel group design substudy, 59 consenting participants recruited from primary care to a trial of acupuncture for IBS (ISRCTN 08827905) were randomized to receive a one-question SMS message at either 9:30 am or at 6:30 pm for 7 days: "On a scale of 0-9, with 0 being no symptoms and 9 being the worst symptoms you could have, how would you score your IBS symptoms now? Please text back a single number."

Results: Of the total messages, 59% (n = 203) were answered within 15 minutes, 73.

Alexander Technique Lessons, Acupuncture Sessions or usual care for patients with chronic neck pain (ATLAS): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Chronic neck pain is a common condition in the adult population. More research is needed to evaluate interventions aiming to facilitate beneficial long-term change. We propose to evaluate the effect of Alexander Technique lessons and acupuncture in a rigorously conducted pragmatic trial with an embedded qualitative study.

Acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome: primary care based pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

Background: Acupuncture is used by patients as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but the evidence on effectiveness is limited. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome in primary care when provided as an adjunct to usual care.

Design: A two-arm pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome: findings from an economic evaluation conducted alongside a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in primary care.

Background: There is insufficient evidence to determine whether acupuncture is a cost-effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. The objective of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture as an adjunct to usual care versus usual care alone for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Methods: Cost-utility analysis conducted alongside a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

A pragmatic multicentered randomized controlled trial of yoga for chronic low back pain: economic evaluation.

Study Design: Multicentered randomized controlled trial with quality of life and resource use data collected.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of yoga intervention plus usual care compared with usual care alone for chronic or recurrent low back pain.

Summary Of Background Data: Yoga has been shown as an effective intervention for treating chronic or recurrent low back pain.

Yoga for chronic low back pain: a randomized trial.

Background: Previous studies indicate that yoga may be an effective treatment for chronic or recurrent low back pain.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of yoga and usual care for chronic or recurrent low back pain.

Design: Parallel-group, randomized, controlled trial using computer-generated randomization conducted from April 2007 to March 2010.

Electronic reminders did not improve postal questionnaire response rates or response times: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of electronic reminders (ERs) to improve the response rates and time to response of postal questionnaires in a health research setting.

Study Design And Setting: This pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) was nested within a multicenter RCT of yoga for lower back pain. Participants who provided an electronic mail address and/or mobile phone number were randomized to receive an ER or no reminder (controls) on the day they were due to receive a follow-up questionnaire.

A randomised controlled trial of yoga for the treatment of chronic low back pain: results of a pilot study.

Objective: To conduct a pilot trial of yoga for the treatment of chronic low back pain (LBP) to inform the feasibility and practicality of conducting a full-scale trial in the UK; and to assess the efficacy of yoga for the treatment of chronic low back pain.

Design: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial was undertaken comparing yoga to usual care.

Participants: Twenty participants who had presented to their GP with chronic low back pain in the previous 18 months were recruited via GP records from one practice in York, UK.

Acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome: a protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

Background: There is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for conclusions to be drawn. Given the current interest in acupuncture by patients, it is in the public interest to establish more rigorous evidence. Building on the positive findings from a pilot study, in this paper we present the protocol for a fully-powered trial designed to establish whether or not acupuncture is effective and cost-effective.

A pragmatic multi-centred randomised controlled trial of yoga for chronic low back pain: trial protocol.

Unlabelled: A systematic review revealed three small randomised controlled trials of yoga for low back pain, all of which showed effects on back pain that favoured the yoga group. To build on these studies a larger trial, with longer term follow-up, and a number of different yoga teachers delivering the intervention is required. This study protocol describes the details of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Yoga for chronic Low Back Pain, which is funded by Arthritis Research Campaign (arc) and is being conducted by the University of York.