STOOL - Stepped Treatment of Older adults On Laxatives - Primary Research
Mihaylov S, Stark C, McColl E, Steen N, Vanoli A, Rubin G, Curless R, Barton R, Bond J
Record ID 32003000265
English
Authors' objectives:
To investigate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of bulk-forming, stimulant and osmotic laxatives, and also of adding a second type oflaxative agent in the treatment of patients whose constipation is not resolved by a single agent. Additionally, to define the meaning of constipation in older people from the perspective of GPs and older patients, and to investigate the use of prescribed and non-prescribed treatments for constipation in older people together with their adherence to prescribed treatments.
Authors' recommendations:
There is little shared understanding between patients and professionals about ‘normal’ bowel function with little consensus in general practice of the optimum management strategies for chronic constipation and the most effective strategies to use. Chronic constipation is seen as less important than other conditions prevalent in general practice (e.g. diabetes) because it is not an agreed management target within national frameworks. Consequently, practitioners had little interest in constipation as a research topic. Patientpreferences and the absence of patient equipoise formed an enormous barrier to the recruitment of patients in the implementation of this trial. Studies are needed to investigate different methods of recruitment within the constraints of current ethical guidelines on ‘opting in’ and to identify barriers and facilitators to recruitment to complex trials in general. Patient preference trials and natural cohort observational studies are also needed to investigate the effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of different laxatives and treatment strategies in the management of chronic constipation.
Details
Project Status:
Completed
URL for project:
http://www.hta.ac.uk/1292
Year Published:
2008
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
England, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
- Aged
- Cathartics
- Constipation
Contact
Organisation Name:
NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme
Contact Address:
NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK
Contact Name:
journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Contact Email:
journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Copyright:
2009 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO
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