• Groeneweg R
• Rubinstein SM
• Oostendorp RA
• van Tulder MW

• Biomedical Research / standards
• Consensus
• Delphi Technique
• Guidelines as Topic
• Manipulation, Spinal / standards
• Open Access Document
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Objective: The aim of the Consensus on Interventions Reporting Criteria List for Spinal Manipulative Therapy (CIRCLe SMT) study was to develop a criteria list for reporting spinal manipulative therapy (SMT).

Methods: A Delphi procedure was conducted from September 2011 to April 2013 and consisted of international experts in the field of SMT. The authors formed a steering committee and invited participants, selected initial items, structured the comments of the participants after each Delphi round, and formulated the feedback. To ensure content validity, a large number of international experts from different SMT-related disciplines were invited to participate. A workshop was organized following the consensus phase, and it was used to discuss and refine the wording of the items.

Results: In total, 123 experts from 18 countries participated. These experts included clinicians (70%), researchers (93%), and academics working in the area of SMT (27%), as well as journal editors (14%). (Note: The total is more than 100% because most participants reported 2 jobs.) Three Delphi rounds were necessary to reach a consensus. The criteria list comprised 24 items under 5 domains, including (1) rationale of the therapy, (2) description of the intervention, (3) SMT techniques, (4) additional intervention/techniques, and (5) quantitative data.

Conclusions: A valid criteria list was constructed with the aim of promoting consistency in reporting SMT intervention in scientific publications.

Author keywords: Manipulation, Spinal, Publications, Randomized Controlled Trials

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