6.0 Lit reviews Flashcards
What are the 5 steps to evidence based practice?
- Convert information needs into answerable questions (to formulate the problem);
- Track down the best evidence with which to answer these questions;
- Appraise the evidence critically to assess its validity (closeness to the truth) and usefulness (clinical applicability);
- Implement the results in practice; and
- Evaluate performance
Systematic review is also called
Research Synthesis
What is the aim of systematic reviews?
An attempt to integrate empirical data for the purpose of:
- uncovering the international evidence and
- producing statements about that evidence to guide decision making
Requires explicit and exhaustive reporting of the methods used in synthesis to ensure that the results are both reliable and meaningful to end users.
Characteristics of a Systematic Review
Protocol driven process
Clearly stated set of objectives with pre-defined eligibility criteria for studies
Explicit, reproducible methodology
Systematic search that attempts to identify all studies that would meet the eligibility criteria
Assessment of the validity of the findings of the included studies
Systematic presentation, and synthesis, of the characteristics and findings of the included studies
Steps in a systematic review (9)
Formulate review question
Define inclusion and exclusion criteria
Locate studies
Select studies
Assess study quality (= assess study validity)
Extract data
Analysis/summary and synthesis of relevant studies
Present results
Interpret results/determining the applicability of results
The notion of and methods for establishing credibility in systematic reviews has been extensively developed and debated.
In terms of quantitative evidence:
Emphasis on reducing X and increasing X
Degree of X established through critique and by applying levels of evidence
In terms of qualitative evidence:
Emphasis on X of research design and X
Degree of X established through critique and by applying levels of plausibility
In terms of quantitative evidence:
Emphasis on reducing BIAS and increasing VALIDITY
Degree of CREDIBILITY established through critique and by applying levels of evidence
In terms of qualitative evidence:
Emphasis on RIGOUR of research design and TRANSFERABILITY
Degree of PLAUSABILITY established through critique and by applying levels of plausibility
Systematic reviews only look at what type of study/studies?
RCTs and quasi-experimental
Integrative reviews include what types of studies?
Integrative reviews combine findings from observational and experimental - not systematic reviews even if they say they are.
Integrative reviews follow same process as systematic reviews however include different study designs.
Meta-synthesis include what types of studies?
Analyse qualitative studies only
What is the difference between a systematic review and a meta-analyses?
A MA is a SR however a MA use of statistics to analyse the findings.
[Effect sizes - 0.8 high effect size, greater difference between 2 groups, good evidence]
Meta-analysis
Quantitative evidence
-Questions of Effectiveness, Feasibility and/or Appropriateness
Use of statistical methods to combine the results of various independent, similar studies
More precise calculation of one estimate of treatment effect than could be achieved by any of the individual, contributing studies
Only forms a part of the systematic review in which it appears
Meta-synthesis
Pooling of textual information.
Qualitative evidence
- Questions of Meaningfulness, Feasibility and/or Appropriateness
Qualitative analysis of a number of independent qualitative research studies and text
Use of qualitative methods of combining the findings of individual studies
Only forms a part of the systematic review in which it appears
Narrative Review
Narrative review - id studies and summarise findings on the topic, no systematic method, the researcher makes decisions on which articles to include or not include. Lots of bias.
Scoping Review
Scoping review - looks at quant, qual, unpublished articles
What are the types of reviews and the types of research they include?
Systematic - RCTs and quasi-experimental
Integrative - combines experimental and observational
Meta-synthesis - qualitative
Scoping - qualitative, quantitative, unpublished articles
Narrative -
