DeltaQuest Foundation, Inc., Concord, MA, USA.
Qual Life Res. 2010 May;19(4):455-64. doi: 10.1007/s11136-010-9585-9. Epub 2010 Jan 19.
Health-state changes can lead to response shifts in internal standards. The most commonly used method for detecting such recalibration response shift is the retrospective pretest-posttest design, here referred to as thentest. Since this design faces significant problems, there is a pressing need to improve the stringency of studies using the thentest approach. Our objective is to provide guidelines for the optimal use of the thentest approach for detecting recalibration response shift.
Discussion of methods based on relevant literature.
A checklist is provided that includes recommendations for studies using the thentest approach focusing on: (1) designing the study; (2) formulating hypotheses; (3) constructing the thentest; (4) identifying change; (6) taking alternative explanations into account; (7) using analytic standards; and (8) interpreting results.
The guidelines-checklist has the potential to stimulate rigorous and replicable research using the thentest. This checklist might also be of use for journal editors and reviewers as 'gate keepers' of stringent research. Many of these suggestions also apply to other methods of detecting response shift.
健康状况的变化可能导致内部标准的反应转移。检测这种重新校准反应转移的最常用方法是回顾性预测试后测试设计，这里称为后测试。由于这种设计面临着重大问题，因此迫切需要提高使用后测试方法的研究的严格性。我们的目标是为使用后测试方法检测重新校准反应转移提供最佳使用指南。
基于相关文献讨论方法。
提供了一份检查表，其中包括使用后测试方法的研究建议，重点关注：（1）设计研究；（2）形成假设；（3）构建后测试；（4）识别变化；（6）考虑替代解释；（7）使用分析标准；和（8）解释结果。
指南检查表有可能刺激使用后测试进行严格和可重复的研究。本检查表也可能对期刊编辑和审稿人有用，因为他们是严格研究的“把关人”。这些建议中的许多也适用于其他检测反应转移的方法。
