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. 2001 Nov 8;1:4. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-1-4

Table 5.

Question specificity by group assignment at baseline and follow-up.*

Specificity Baseline Frequency (%) Follow-up Frequency (%) Within-Group Pre-Post Comparison (p-value)†
Intervention (n = 17)

Primary Outcome‡ 0.008
 Properly specified 3 (17.7) 10 (58.8)
 Mis-specified 14 (82.4) 7 (41.2)
Secondary Outcomes
 Patient 0.028
  Absent 5 (29.4) 2 (11.8)
  Broad 9 (52.9) 5 (29.4)
  Specific 3 (17.7) 10 (58.8)
 Intervention 0.157
  Absent 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0)
  Broad 6 (35.3) 4 (23.5)
  Specific 11 (64.7) 13 (76.5)
 Comparison 0.014
  Absent 11 (64.7) 5 (29.4)
  Broad 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0)
  Specific 6 (35.3) 12 (70.6)
 Outcome 0.008
  Absent 3 (17.7) 1 (5.9)
  Broad 11 (64.7) 7 (41.2)
  Specific 3 (17.7) 9 (52.9)

Control Group (n = 22)

Primary Outcome‡ --
 Properly specified 5 (22.7) 5 (22.7)
 Mis-specified 17 (77.3) 17 (77.3)
Secondary Outcomes
 Patient 0.083
  Absent 5 (22.7) 4 (18.2)
  Broad 12 (54.6) 11 (50.0)
  Specific 5 (22.7) 7 (31.8)
 Intervention 0.564
  Absent 2 (9.1) 1 (4.6)
  Broad 10 (45.5) 11 (50.0)
  Specific 10 (45.5) 10 (45.5)
 Comparison 0.974
  Absent 16 (72.7) 17 (77.3)
  Broad 1 (4.6) 0 (0.0)
  Specific 5 (22.7) 5 (22.7)
 Outcome 0.961
  Absent 3 (13.6) 4 (18.2)
  Broad 13 (59.1) 12 (54.6)
  Specific 6 (27.3) 6 (27.3)

* Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. † Two-sided Wilcoxon signed ranks test. ‡ A properly specified question was one that had an explicit statement for each of the four dimensions of question specificity. If a question had at least one dimension coded as absent, it was classified as mis-specified.