Session 3 Lecture 2: Critical Appraisal Of Research Evidence Flashcards
Definition of Critical Appraisal
It is the process of carefully and systematically examining research to judge its trustworthiness and its value and relevance in a particular context
How would you use PICO to develop the question you want to answer from this statement?
“We are interested in exploring any relationship between parental smoking and the risk of asthma in children.”
Patient/Population
- pre-school aged children
Intervention/exposure
- exposure to second-hand smoke in the home
Comparison
- children living in and not living in households where they are exposed to second-hand smoke
Observation
-asthma
What will be the question developed from this statement after using PICO?
“We are interested in exploring any relationship between parental smoking and the risk of asthma in children.”
Are pre-school aged children exposed to second-hand smoke in the home at increased risk of developing asthma compared to those not exposed?
How would you use PICO do develop your search terms from the question below in order to find a study to answer the question?
“Are pre-school aged children exposed to second-hand smoke in the home at increased risk of developing asthma compared to those not exposed?”
Patient/Population
- pre-school OR child OR infant OR newborn
Intervention/exposure
- Passive smoking OR smoking OR smoke OR parental smoking OR household smoking OR involuntary smoking
Comparison
- children living in and not living in households where they are exposed to second-hand smoke
Observation
-asthma
What are the initial key questions to consider before choosing a study?
- is this article relevant to my interests?
- is there a clear research question?
- when was it published?
- has it been peer-reviewed?
- do I want to proceed?
Give 4 reasons why articles may be rejected from online journals?
- Sample size too small
- The study did not actually test the authors’ hypothesis
- Statistical analysis was incorrect or inappropriate
- The study was uncontrolled to inadequately controlled
What is the 7 part summary of the process of critical appraisal from formulating the PICO question to assessing the study/evidence?
- Formulate PICO question
- Identify keywords for each PICO element
- Plan the search strategy
- Execute the search
- Refine the results
- Review the literature
- Assess the Evidence
Be mindful of confirmation bias when appraising a study.
What is confirmation bias?
Evaluating evidence that supports one’s preconceptions differently from the evidence that challenges these convictions
What questions should you be asking yourself when looking to discuss the methods of the study found?
- Is there any selection bias?
- How was the data collected?
- Were validated tools used?
- Are potential confounding factors discussed and adjusted for?
What questions should you be asking yourself when looking to discuss the results(presentation) of the study found?
- How are the figures and tables presented?
- Are the results statistically significant?
- Are the results generalizable?
- What statistics are presented - what is the outcome measure presented?
What questions should you be asking yourself when looking to discuss the findings of the study found?
- Is the main finding of the study clearly given and does it reflect the aim of the study?
- How does the study fit with what we already know?
- Are strength and limitations discussed?
- Is a clear final conclusion given as well as recommendations for practice/next steps?
