Interpreting research on clinical prediction rules for physiotherapy treatments

Treatment-related clinical prediction rules (CPRs) can potentially help clinicians choose a treatment for a particular patient. The recent publication of several systematic reviews illustrates the increased interest in CPRs for physiotherapy treatments (Beneciuk et al., 2009; May and Rosedale, 2009; Stanton et al., 2010). This editorial discusses how methodological issues may affect the information that can be taken from a study on a physiotherapy treatment CPR.We hope this discussion will help clinicians feel more comfortable about interpreting this type of research. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.