The reporting quality of experimental studies investigating isometric muscle energy technique (MET) produced by European School of Osteopathy undergraduates between 2000 -2015: a structured literature review.
Item
- Title
- The reporting quality of experimental studies investigating isometric muscle energy technique (MET) produced by European School of Osteopathy undergraduates between 2000 -2015: a structured literature review.
- Author(s)
- Phillips, R
- Abstract
- Background: The function of research is to inform clinical decision-making for the improvement of patient outcomes. Evidence-practice gaps have been identified in both mainstream allopathy and the manual therapies; including for the latter, evidence for techniques used by osteopaths such as MET. A target for improving the evidence-base to support such techniques, seems to be at the education level. To date, there is a paucity of studies reviewing intra-institutional undergraduate reporting quality. Objective: To synthesize and assess the reporting quality of European School of Osteopathy (ESO) undergraduate, isometric MET research output, for the period 2000-2015; including assessment of between-degree programme reporting and provision of evidence-based recommendations. Design : Structured literature review Method: An electronic library catalogue (Soutron) search retumed a list of dissertations produced between 2000-2015; two independent reviewers applied the exclusion criteria to these by hand to identify the literature selection. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (Non- pharmacologic extension; CNP) checklist scores for reporting quality formed the primary outcome measure of this review. An expansion of the CNP checklist (the SCNP checklist) was completed by independent researchers and used to score the CNP checklist. Summary descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated to test the study hypothesis; appraisal of reporting quality was defined per quartile as low, below average, above average or high quality. Results:; A statistically significant increase (p=0.002) in reporting quality for MOst over BSc related studies was identified, however, reporting was found to be of ‘low’(44/45 studies, 97.8%) or ‘below average’ (1 study, 2.2%) quality. A strength and weakness appraisal based on the summary data gathered, revealed the main consistently under-reported topics were information covering care providers, participant flow, blinding and randomisation processes. Discussion: lt is posited that student research, in its current guise, may be unethical and irrelevant to the wider research field; as such, the repetition of current methodologies is questioned. Strategies and recommendations for improving student research at the student, teaching and institutional level are discussed. Conclusion: despite a rising trend in ESO dissertation reporting quality, its continuation may be unrealistic due to poor standards of reporting and variability between studies. Greater efforts may be required at the student and institutional levels, to improve the rigour of future student research and its relevance to the wider research field.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2017
- Date Submitted
- 4.12.2017 17:06:21
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 16056
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- muscle energy technique; reporting quality; structured review; undergraduate research, output
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Phillips, R, “The reporting quality of experimental studies investigating isometric muscle energy technique (MET) produced by European School of Osteopathy undergraduates between 2000 -2015: a structured literature review. ”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 5, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/480