Table 2 Summary of the case studies
Trial | Leg Ulcers | Acupuncture | CPSW | PLINY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Objective | Establish clinical effectiveness of specialist community leg ulcer clinics versus usual care provided by district nurses [15] | Determine whether a short course of traditional acupuncture improves longer-term outcomes for patients with persistent nonspecific low back pain [7] | Establish the relative cost-effectiveness of postnatal support in the community in addition to the usual care provided by community midwives [16] | Evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of telephone befriending for the maintenance of health related quality of life (HRQoL) in older people [17] |
Cluster | 8 specialist clinics | 7 acupuncturists | 7 CPSW | 5 volunteer facilitators |
Outcome of Interest | aNumber of ulcer free weeks during 12 months follow-up | SF-36 pain dimension measured at 12 months follow-up [28] | SF-36 general health perception domain measured at 6 weeks [28] | SF-36 mental health dimension score measured at 6 months follow-up [28] |
Target Difference | 10 points | 5 points | 8 points | |
Original Analysis | – | Robust standard errors | No adjustment | Generalised linear model with robust standard errors with participants in the control arm treated as individual clusters of size one |