Article

Evidence-based treatment is not effective for all patients. Research
must therefore be carried out to help clinicians to decide for whom and under
what circumstances certain treatment is effective. Treatment theory can assist in
designing research that will provide results on which clinical decision-making
can be based. OBJECTIVE: To illustrate how treatment theory can be helpful in the
design of explanatory trials that assist clinical decision-making. METHODS: The
benefit of treatment theory was demonstrated by approaching the design of a
clinical trial from two perspectives: one without the use of treatment theory and
one with the explicit use of treatment theory. Evaluation of the effectiveness of
cognitive treatment of illness perceptions for patients with chronic low back
pain was used as an illustrative example. ISSUES: With treatment theory as the
main focus, the intervention became the starting point for the design of an
explanatory trial. Potentially relevant patient selection criteria, essential
treatment components, the optimal choice of a control group and the selection of
outcome measures were specified. CONCLUSION: This paper not only describes
problems encountered in research on the effectiveness of treatment, but also ways
in which to address these problems.

Langue : ANGLAIS