patient-evaluation method ; low back pain ; clinical results
Keywords
patient-evaluation method ; low back pain ; clinical results
Abstract
In publishing or presenting the clinical paper, the data of the patient evaluation are very important. Particularly, in the paper regarding the treatment modality, there should be objective method to evaluate the patient accurately before and after treat- ment. Author analyzed the 144 papers on spinal disorders published in the Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society from January 2001 to August 2004. Among the 144 papers, authors from 72 publications used 23 kinds of patient-evaluation methods. In 15 papers(15%), the evaluation methods were designed by the authors. Most authors used the internationally well known protocols, but there were no descriptions about how they adopted the English version into Korean version. Authors from 59 papers(82%) used only one method to evaluate the patients. In only 33 papers(40%), authors referred the paper in which the evaluation method was originally described. When considering the different culture and personal life from various foreign countries, a unique and objective Korean version of patient-evaluation method should be well designed and validated. However, the Korean method should be made under the control of Korean Neurosurgical Spinal Society and the results should be acknowledged and verified after validation of the reliability of such method.