Excerpt

This Future Research Needs (FRN) project is a followup to the draft Comparative Effectiveness Review (CER), “Treatment for Restless Legs Syndrome.” The review was motivated by uncertainty around the effectiveness and comparative effectiveness of treatments for restless legs syndrome (RLS). The purpose of this FRN project is to identify and prioritize specific gaps in the current literature about the effectiveness and comparative effectiveness of treatments for RLS for which additional research would aid decisionmakers.

We used a deliberative process to identify evidence gaps, translate gaps into researchable questions, and solicit stakeholder opinion on the importance of research questions. This report proposes specific research needs along with research design considerations that may be useful in advancing the field.

Contents

• Preface
• Contributors
• Executive Summary
• Background
  • Context
  • Restless Legs Syndrome
  • Findings of the Draft Comparative Effectiveness Review
  • Objective
  • Evidence Gaps and Research Question Development
• Methods
  • Engagement of Stakeholders
  • Research Design Considerations
• Results
  • Research Needs
  • Methodological Research Needs
  • Topical Research Needs
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• References
• Abbreviations
• Appendix A Research Gap Questions for Prioritization
• Appendix B Search Strategy for Recently Published Studies
• Appendix C Recently Published Studies
• Appendix D Ongoing Trials

Prepared for: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services¹, Contract No. 290-2007-10064-I, Prepared by: Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center, Minneapolis, MN

Suggested citation:

Carlyle M, Ouellette J, Khawaja I, Wilt TJ. Treatment for Restless Legs Syndrome: Future Research Needs. Future Research Needs Paper No. 38. (Prepared by the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2007-10064-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 13-EHC049-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. February 2013. www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports/final.cfm.

This report is based on research conducted by the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract No. 290-2007-10064-I). The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the author(s), who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The information in this report is intended to help health care researchers and funders of research make well-informed decisions in designing and funding research and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of scientific judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical research and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances.

None of the investigators have any affiliation or financial involvement that conflicts with the material presented in this report.

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