title: Reported Outcome Measures in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Systematic Review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Degenerative cervical myelopathy [DCM] is a disabling and increasingly prevalent group of diseases. Heterogeneous reporting of trial outcomes limits effective inter-study comparison and optimisation of treatment. This is recognised in many fields of healthcare research. The present study aims to assess the heterogeneity of outcome reporting in DCM as the premise for the development of a standardised reporting set.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review of MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, registered with PROSPERO (CRD42015025497) was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Full text articles in English, with >50 patients (prospective) or >200 patients (retrospective), reporting outcomes of DCM were eligible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  108 studies, assessing 23,876 patients, conducted world-wide, were identified. Reported outcome themes included function (reported by 97, 90% of studies), complications (reported by 56, 52% of studies), quality of life (reported by 31, 29% of studies), pain (reported by 29, 27% of studies) and imaging (reported by 59, 55% of studies). Only 7 (6%) studies considered all of domains in a single publication. All domains showed variability in reporting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant heterogeneity exists in the reporting of outcomes in DCM. The development of a consensus minimum dataset will facilitate future research synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Benjamin M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0591-5069
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Maire
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.affiliation: Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elgheriani
authors.affiliation: Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Angelos G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Kolias
authors.affiliation: Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Lindsay A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tetreault
authors.affiliation: Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|John van Geest Brain Repair Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter J A
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.affiliation: Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Fehlings
authors.affiliation: Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|WT MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network & University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|John van Geest Brain Repair Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark R N
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kotter
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*