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Table 4 Results, discussion and conclusions concerning efficacy

From: Questions asked and answered in pilot and feasibility randomized controlled trials

  

Drug

(n = 28)

Non-drug

(n = 22)

ABSTRACT

   

   Take home message

no mention of efficacy

4 (14%)

4 (18%)

 

not shown to have benefit/no benefit

4 (14%)

1 (5%)

 

intervention shows promise

8 (29%)

5 (23%)

 

intervention beneficial

12 (43%)

12 (55%)

Mentioned that further/larger trials needed

13 (46%)

11 (50%)

RESULTS

   

   Statistically significant

none

12 (43%)

9 (43%)

   results relating to efficacy

within groups only

5 (18%)

4 (19%)

 

between groups

11 (39%)

8 (38%)1

DISCUSSION

   

   Extent of discussion about

minimal

1 (4%)

3 (14%)

   efficacy

substantial

11 (39%)

9 (41%)

 

major focus of section

16 (57%)

10 (46%)

Mentioned that the sample size was too small

24 (86%)

19 (88%)

  1. 1 - One paper reporting a non-drug trial didn't report any significance tests or confidence intervals and was excluded from these figures