Table 1 Causal Inference Terms Description for Therapeutic Interventions
From: Choosing what works for whom: towards a better use of mechanistic knowledge in clinical practice
Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
Intervention’s Effect | Mean between-group difference in a given outcome driven by the intervention [9] | Average pain improvement driven by one intervention (e.g. exercise) in comparison to another (e.g. manual therapy) |
Mediators of Effect | A mediator is variables by which one intervention affects an outcome [9] | The effect of exercise on pain is partially channeled through one or several putative mediators (e.g. reduction in pain sensitivity [10]) |
Moderators of Effect | A moderator is a variable such that the effect of the treatment on the outcome differs for different levels of the moderator variable [9] | High levels of fear-avoidance beliefs are associated with poor treatment outcome in subjects with low back pain [11] |