Table 3.
Characteristics of included GET studies, their participants, and prognosis
| Reference (author/year) | Setting and diagnostic criteria | Intervention and control | Sample size Intervention (#) Control (#) |
Population characteristics: age (mean years); gender (% female) | Primary outcome | Prognosis following GET treatment(s) (% of participants) | EPHPP global quality rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark et al. (2017) | CFS clinic, UK; NICE criteria | Self-help GET v. SpMC | Intervention: 107 Control: 104 |
Intervention: 38; 82 Control: 39; 76 |
Fatigue and physical functioning; post-treatment | 16% globally improved; 58% significantly improved in fatigue and 41% in physical functioning; 24% increased physical activity; 21% seriously deteriorated; 19%a globally worsened | Moderate |
| Fulcher and White (1997) | CFS clinic, UK; Oxford Criteria | GET v. flexibility and relaxation | Intervention: 33 Control: 33 |
Entire sample: 37; 74 |
Global improvement; post-treatment | 52% globally improved; 3% globally worsened | Moderate |
| Moss-Morris et al. (2005) | CFS private general practice, New Zealand; CDC Criteria | GET v. StMC | Intervention: 25 Control: 24 |
Intervention: 37; 60. Control: 46; 79 |
Global improvement; post-treatment | 48% globally improved; 18%a globally worsened | Moderate |
| Powell et al. (2001) | CFS clinic and an infectious disease outpatient clinic, UK; Oxford criteria | ‘Doses’ of education to encourage GET: minimum (i), telephone (ii), and maximum (iii) conditions v. StMC | Intervention: GET (i) 37 GET (ii) 39 GET (iii) 38 Control: 34 |
Intervention GET (i) 34; 76 GET (ii) 32; 85 GET (iii) 33; 82 Control: 34; 71 |
Fatigue and physical functioning; medium-term follow-up | 70% globally improved; 69% significantly improved in physical functioning | Moderate |
| White et al. (2011) | Secondary care clinic, UK; Oxford Criteria | GET v. SpMC | Intervention: 160 Control: 160 |
Intervention: 39; 77. Control: 37; 76 |
Fatigue and physical functioning; short-term follow-up |
39% globally improved; 77% significantly improved in fatigue and 68% in physical functioning; 27% in normal ranges for fatigue and physical functioning; 13%a globally worsened; 6% seriously deteriorated | Moderate |
| White et al. (2013) | Secondary care clinics, UK; Oxford Criteria | GET v. SpMC | Intervention: 160 Control: 160 |
Entire sample: 38; 77 |
Fatigue and physical functioning; short-term follow-up | 20% recovered | Moderate |
Note. EPHPP, Effective Public Health Practice Project; CFS, chronic fatigue syndrome; GET, graded exercise therapy; StMC, standard medical care; NICE, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; SpMC, specialist medical care; CDC, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
a
Data obtained from study author.