Drop-out, adherence, and compliance in randomized controlled trials of exercise training in multiple sclerosis: Short report
Robert W. Motl, Daniel Russell, Lara A. Pilutti, Alexandra P. Metse, Claudia H. Marck, Bryan Chan, Peixuan Zheng, Yvonne C. Learmonth
Abstract
We documented reporting and rates of drop-out, adherence, and compliance from 40 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included in our meta-analysis on safety of exercise training (ET) in MS. We adopted definitions and metrics of adherence and compliance provided by the MoXFo adherence group. Drop-out was reported in 100% of the RCTs and approximated 10% for intervention and control conditions. Adherence and compliance were reported in approximately 50% and 10% of the RCTs, respectively, and approximated 80% and 70%, respectively. Standardized metrics for reporting adherence and compliance are important in future RCTs for understanding the impact on outcomes and translation of research evidence into practice.