TY - JOUR AU - Hancock M. AU - Koes B. AU - Saragiotto B. AU - Yamato T. AU - Moseley A. AU - Sun X. AU - Maher C. AB -

OBJECTIVE: To assess the credibility of subgroup claims in back pain randomised controlled trials. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A sample of reports of back pain trials from 2000 to 2015 that provided a subgroup claim were included (n=38). Two reviewers independently assessed risk of bias and credibility of subgroup claims as well as the strength of the author's claim. The credibility of subgroup claims was assessed using a 10-criteria tool, and strength of the subgroup claims was assessed based on 7 criteria to categorise claims into reasonably strong claim of a definitive subgroup effect or a more cautious claim of a possible effect. RESULTS: A total of 91 claims of a subgroup effect were reported in the 38 included trials, of which 28 were considered strong claims of a definitive effect, and 63 were cautious claims of a possible effect. None of the subgroup claims met all 10 credibility criteria, and only 24% (22 claims) satisfied at least five criteria. The only criteria satisfied by more than 50% of the claims were if the subgroup variable was a characteristic measured at baseline, and whether the test of interaction was significant. All other criteria were satisfied by less than 30% of the claims. There was no association between the credibility of subgroup claims and the journal impact factor, risk of bias, sample size, or year of publication. CONCLUSION: The credibility of subgroup claims in back pain trials is usually low, irrespective of the strength of the authors' claim.

AD - Sydney Medical School, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: bsaragiotto@georgeinstitute.org.au.
Sydney Medical School, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia.
Department of General Practice, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. AN - 27297201 BT - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology DP - NLM ET - 2016/06/15 LA - Eng LB - AUS
MSK
FY16 N1 - Saragiotto, Bruno T
Maher, Chris G
Moseley, Anne M
Yamato, Tie P
Koes, Bart W
Sun, Xin
Hancock, Mark J
REVIEW
J Clin Epidemiol. 2016 Jun 10. pii: S0895-4356(16)30174-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2016.06.003. N2 -

OBJECTIVE: To assess the credibility of subgroup claims in back pain randomised controlled trials. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A sample of reports of back pain trials from 2000 to 2015 that provided a subgroup claim were included (n=38). Two reviewers independently assessed risk of bias and credibility of subgroup claims as well as the strength of the author's claim. The credibility of subgroup claims was assessed using a 10-criteria tool, and strength of the subgroup claims was assessed based on 7 criteria to categorise claims into reasonably strong claim of a definitive subgroup effect or a more cautious claim of a possible effect. RESULTS: A total of 91 claims of a subgroup effect were reported in the 38 included trials, of which 28 were considered strong claims of a definitive effect, and 63 were cautious claims of a possible effect. None of the subgroup claims met all 10 credibility criteria, and only 24% (22 claims) satisfied at least five criteria. The only criteria satisfied by more than 50% of the claims were if the subgroup variable was a characteristic measured at baseline, and whether the test of interaction was significant. All other criteria were satisfied by less than 30% of the claims. There was no association between the credibility of subgroup claims and the journal impact factor, risk of bias, sample size, or year of publication. CONCLUSION: The credibility of subgroup claims in back pain trials is usually low, irrespective of the strength of the authors' claim.

PY - 2016 SN - 1878-5921 (Electronic)
0895-4356 (Linking) T2 - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology TI - A systematic review reveals that the credibility of subgroup claims in low back pain trials was low Y2 - FY16 ER -