Robert Courtney

Robert Courtney (d. March 7, 2018) was a patient advocate for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and an outspoken critic of the PACE trial and the biopsychosocial model of chronic fatigue syndrome. He authored numerous published letters in medical journals regarding the PACE trial and, also, filed freedom of information requests in an attempt to get the authors of the PACE trial to release the full trial data to the public for scrutiny.

Robert Courtney passed away on March 7, 2018 at the age of 48.

Freedom of information requests

 * 29 Oct 2013, FOI request to QMUL: PACE Trial: Recovery Rates and Positive Outcome Rates (repeat request) (Denied)
 * 18 Nov 2012, FOI request to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence: Distinguishing between CFS/ME (WHO ICD-10 G93.3) and Neurasthenia (WHO ICD-10 F48.0) (Denied)
 * 06 Nov 2012, FOI request to Department of Health: CFS/ME definition (Partially successful)
 * 04 Nov 2012, FOI request to QMUL: The PACE Trial - the 'normal range' data analysis (Denied)
 * 26 Oct 2012, FOI request to QMUL: PACE Trial: Recovery Rates and Positive Outcome Rates (Denied)
 * 26 Sep 2012, Appeal of Information Commissioner's Decision Notice No: FS50451416 (Appeal is allowed)
 * 29 Mar 2012, FOI request to QMUL: Request for deterioration rates for PACE Trial (Denied)
 * 09 Jun 2011, FOI request to QMUL: Request for raw data from the PACE Trial (Denied)
 * 15 May 2011, FOI request to Medical Research Council: Request for raw data from the PACE Trial (Denied)

Letters

 * 16 Feb 2016, PubMed - Comment "A study that uses questionable assumptions rather than empirical evidence leads to conclusions that stretch credibility." by Robert Courtney, in response to "Rehabilitative therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome: a secondary mediation analysis of the PACE trial."
 * Apr 2015, The Lancet Psychiatry - (correspondence) "Doubts over the validity of the PACE hypothesis" by Robert Courtney
 * 14 Jan 2015, The BMJ - Response: “The cognitive-behavioural model of illness for chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis is not supported by the outcomes of the PACE trial” by Robert Courtney, in response to "Tackling fears about exercise is important for ME treatment, analysis indicates"
 * 19 Aug 2014, Disability and Rehabilitation - Letter to the Editor: "Harms and benefits associated with exercise therapy for CFS/ME" by Robert Courtney
 * 10 Dec 2013, European Journal of Pediatrics - (correspondence) "Improvement rates in adolescent patients with chronic fatigue syndrome after receiving cognitive behavioural therapy" by Robert Courtney
 * 19 Jul 2013, Journal of Psychological Medicine - (correspondence) "Six letters concerning the paper by White et al (2013) on the PACE Trial"
 * 19 Jun 2013, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy - Letters: "GET Real" by Robert Courtney

Responses

 * 19 Jan 2015, Disability and Rehabilitation - (correspondence) "Author’s comments in response to letters by Tom Kindlon, Anna Sheridan and Robert Courtney" by Peter William Gladwell
 * 19 Jul 2013, Journal of Psychological Medicine - (correspondence) Reply to "Six letters concerning the paper by White et al (2013) on the PACE Trial" by [[Peter White], Kimberley Goldsmith, Anthony Johnson, Trudie Chalder and Michael Sharpe]

Publications on ME/CFS

 * 2018, Rethinking the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome—A reanalysis and evaluation of findings from a recent major trial of graded exercise and CBT (Full Text)