title: Do standards for the design and reporting of nonpharmacological trials facilitate hypnotherapy studies?
abstract: The design and quality of 30 recent hypnotherapy trials (years 2000-2008) were assessed using the checklist for evaluating a report of nonpharmacological treatment (CLEAR NPT). Randomization was adequately reported in 53% of studies. The masking of participants and care providers is not feasible in hypnotherapy studies. Assessor masking is rarely introduced in randomized, controlled trials (27%). Reporting and quality of published hypnotherapy trials need to be improved. Investigators may consider using CLEAR NPT to evaluate study quality but attention should be paid to document intervention adherence, standardization of cointerventions, participant and care-provider expectations and beliefs, and, finally, hypnotizability.
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche, CHUQ, Laval University, Québec City, Canada. isabelle.marc@crsfa.ulaval.ca
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marc
authors.forename: Marie-Claude
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pelland-Marcotte
authors.forename: Edzard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ernst
mesh_terms: D057189:Checklist; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012015:Reference Standards; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*