A prospective outcome study is warranted to confirm the hypothesis that tailoring therapy according to the patient characteristics identified in this trial actually results in better outcomes, she continued.
A noteworthy finding was the low attrition rate in both tailored-therapy studies. Clinical trials in fibromyalgia patients typically feature a very high dropout rate, regardless of whether they involve pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic treatments. But participants in the tailored-therapy trials were clearly engaged: The dropout rate in Dr. van Koulil's study was 5.5%. It was similar in the psychotherapy arms of Dr. Thieme's study, compared with 50% in the control group.
Her study was funded by the German Research Council.
Dr. van Koulil's was supported by the Dutch Arthritis Association.