Critical Appraisal Flashcards
What does PICO stand for?
1) Patient/Population
2) Intervention
3) Comparison/Control
4) Outcome
What are the 5 step of evidence based medicine?
1) Asking focused questions
2) Finding evidence
3) Critically appraising
4) Decision
5) Evaluation
What is critical appraisal and why is it important?
Critical appraisal is about assessing validity, reliability and applicability. Important as means you can provide patients with the best possible evidence and information.
3 advantages of ecological study?
1) Routine date so quick and cheap
2) Good for generating hypotheses
3) Few ethical issues
3 disadvantages of ecological study?
1) Doesn’t show causation
2) Inconsistent data presentation
3) Bias
4 advantages of a C-S Study?
1) Quick and cheap
2) Good for generating hypotheses
3) Few ethical issues
4) Rapid insight into population events
3 disadvantages of a C-S Study?
1) No concept of time
2) Could report anomalies
3) Bias
2 advantages of a case-control study?
1) Cheap and quick (Retro)
2) Small sample to provide statistically significant results
3 disadvantages of C-C study?
1) Retrospective might be unreliable (e.g. recall bias)
2) Association but not causation
3) Bias (& can’t calculate incidence)
3 advantages of Cohort study?
1) Calculate incidence so see relative and absolute risks
2) Reduced chance of bias
3) Distinguish cause and association factors
3 disadvantages of Cohort study?
1) Expensive and time consuming
2) Causation can’t be calculated (No control study)
3) Difficulties with follow up
3 advantages of RCT?
1) Confounders equally balanced
2) Blinding reduces bias
3) Stats tests easier as confounders reduced
3 disadvantages of RCT?
1) Expensive and volunteer bias
2) Ethical difficulties in withholding treatment from control arm
3) Poor compliance means stats tests less efficient
What is the gold standard of evidence based medicine?
Systematic reviews of RCT.
