What evidence is used to underpin the design of strength-based exercise interventions evaluated in randomised controlled trials for rheumatoid arthritis? A systematic review protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Healthcare researchers designing strength-based exercise interventions must choose an appropriate dose to test before evaluating its effect using a definitive/phase-III randomised controlled trial (RCT). Compared with early phase testing employed by pharmaceutical trials, it is questionable whether exercise-based trials employ the same rigour for establishing tolerated dosage. Consequently, it is unclear if participants are initially prescribed optimal doses of exercise, which may potentially impact on study outcomes. Using trials of strength-based exercise interventions in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as an exemplar, the aims of this review are to (1) identify the proportion of RCTs that use phase I/II trials with dose escalation methodology for setting presc

SUBMITTER: Boniface G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6144333 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature