Week 9- Introduction to Evidence Flashcards
What is a literature review?
- Summary and explanation of complete and current knowledge from a topic
- Broad range of issues, rather than addressing in depth
What is the purpose of a literature review?
- Easy access to research on particular topic
- Excellent starting point for researcher
- Highlights key findings, useful for background reading
Why is a literature review not recommended?
- Lack of rigour in review process
- Lack of clarity with how studies were identified, selected and integrated
- Selective use and reporting of literature to suit needs of author
- May be biased
What is a systematic review?
- Form of literature focused on single issue, attempts to identify, appraise, select and synthesise evidence
- Reduce and ultimately eliminate bias
- Transparent, rigorous, reproducible process
- High grade of research: likely to provide stronger evidence
- Reveal new results/generate new ideas
What is a meta analysis?
- Combine data of several studies that address set of research hypotheses
- Gain true effect treatment (effect size): pooled result
- Combine number research studies into one large study
- Cant have MA without systematic review
How is a meta analysis useful?
All included studies have the same:
- Population
- Intervention
- Outcome
- Studies similar to estimate an average effect
What is heterogeneity?
- Check whether studies can be combined
- Estimates treatment effect of individual studies
- Check that individual studies similar enough we are confident a combined estimate will be a meaningful description of set of studies
What are the three types of heterogeneity?
- Clinical
- Methodological
- Statistical
What is clinical heterogeneity?
Variations that normally occur anyway in patient populations, interventions etc
What is methodological heterogeneity?
Manner in which studies are conducted and data is measured
What is statistical heterogeneity?
Will have random (chance) variations in results
What are fixed effects model for a meta analysis?
Assumed all studies come from a common population and effect size is not significantly different among different trials
What are random effects model for a meta analysis?
Both the random variation within studies and variation between the different studies is incorporated
What are clinical practice guidelines?
Systematically developed statements to assist health professionals and patient make decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances
What are the aims of clinical guidelines?
- Improve quality of health care to improve people’s chances of getting well
- Provide recommendations for treatment and care of people
- Develop standards to assess clinical practice’
- Education and training of health professionas
- Improve communication between patient and health professional
- Help patients make informed decisions
