Finding Benefit in n-of-1 Trials (Letter)

No Thumbnail Available
File version
Author(s)
McDonald, Suzanne
McGree, James
Bazzano, Lydia
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2019
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

To the Editor We read with interest the recent article by Kravitz and colleagues1 describing a randomized clinical trial comparing n-of-1 trials with standard care for treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain.

The goal of the study was to establish the “benefits of participating in an n-of-1 trial, not to assess the superiority or inferiority of any particular treatment.”1(1369) However, there appears to be a disconnect between the study goal and the choice of outcomes, which were focused on pain interference scores across different treatment regimens. Therefore, the null results should be interpreted with respect to treatment efficacy, not design. The n-of-1 participants who demonstrated a better response to 1 of 2 treatments were likely to experience improved pain outcomes as a result of continuing to receive the superior treatment. However, there was a high proportion (>75%) of n-of-1 participants who had no treatment superiority, and this may explain the trial’s findings.

Journal Title

JAMA Internal Medicine

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

179

Issue

3

Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Clinical sciences

Science & Technology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Medicine, General & Internal

General & Internal Medicine

Persistent link to this record
Citation

McDonald, S; McGree, J; Bazzano, L, Finding Benefit in n-of-1 Trials, JAMA Internal Medicine, 2019, 179 (3), pp. 454-455

Collections