Levels of Evidence Flashcards
Descriptive or exploratory research
o How many people are affected
o “What is the subjective patient experience?”
o Best evidence for describing problems or concerns in healthcare
Correlational
o Correlation coefficients
o Relationship between factors
o “Is body weight related to formation of pressure ulcers?”
Comparative research
o How two or more groups are different
o “Does blood pressure vary between men and women?”
Case controlled and cohort studies
o What factors might influence and predict health outcomes
o “Does smoking predict lung cancer?”
RCTs
o Examine the effect of an intervention on patient outcomes
o “Does turning a patient every two hours prevent pressure ulcers?”
Meta analyses
- Strongest level
* “What do all of the studies on patient turning tell us about the effect on pressure ulcers?”
