Core Outcome Set for Hand Flexor Tendon Injuries (HaFTI-COS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of a Patient-Centred Core Outcome Set for the Treatment of Hand Flexor Tendon Injuries
IRAS ID
329911
Contact name
Alexia Karantana
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
000, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Flexor tendons connect the muscles in the forearm to the bones in our fingers enabling us to grip objects. They can be accidentally cut (e.g. broken glass, using a knife). Such injuries require complex surgery and prolonged therapy. The best way to treat Flexor Tendon Injuries (FTI) is unclear. More research is needed to assess the effects of treatments on patients. Researchers do this by measuring an ‘outcome’ (e.g. how well the person can use their hand in everyday activities). Outcomes are often selected because they are easy to gather information about (e.g. how well the fingers move), rather than what is most important to patients (e.g. whether they can perform their usual activities). This means the results of research are not always relevant to patients. Another problem is that various studies looking at the same treatments often measure different outcomes. This makes it difficult to compare or combine the results to find out what treatment is best and for whom. A ‘Core Outcome Set’ is an agreed minimum set of outcomes to measure for a health condition; it includes outcomes that are most important to patients and clinicians and should be reported in all studies on that health condition.
Agreement on what these important outcomes are for FTI is the aim of our study.
We will ask patients with FTI what outcomes they consider relevant to their injury through interviews and discussion groups. We will also review outcomes reported in published studies and how these relate to what patients tell us. We will then seek consensus amongst patients, clinicians and researchers on the most important outcomes, through a series of online surveys in which these key stakeholders will rate the importance of each outcome. A consensus meeting with stakeholders will then agree the final FTI Core Outcome Set.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0345
Date of REC Opinion
19 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion