Making Use of Published Guidelines to Assist With Study Design and Research

Guy G. Simoneau

DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2008.0110

Just as literature reviews consistently show the importance of replication of findings of even the best studies, recently published clinical prediction rules--still only at the derivation stage--must be first confirmed and subsequently validated by various researchers, working in a variety of clinical settings, before they can be considered ready for wide clinical application.

The call for widely accepted and shared guidelines for the conduct and reporting of studies aimed at the derivation of clinical prediction rules should stand alongside a call for the pursuit of the confirmation and validation of the many recently published clinical prediction rules that are still only at the derivation stage. While acknowledging the limitations of clinical prediction rules, there is certainly reason to be optimistic about the potentially useful information that the ability to characterize baseline attributes of patients who may respond to specific interventions may provide clinicians.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2008; 38(11):658-660. doi:10.2519/jospt.2008.0110

KEY WORDS: clinical prediction rule

Just as literature reviews consistently show the importance of replication of findings of even the best studies, recently published clinical prediction rules--still only at the derivation stage--must be first confirmed and subsequently validated by various researchers, working in a variety of clinical settings, before they can be considered ready for wide clinical application.

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