| |
| |
| Preface | |
| |
| |
| Acknowledgements | |
| |
| |
| |
| Introducing critical appraisal | |
| |
| |
| Clarify your reasons for reading | |
| |
| |
| Specify your information need | |
| |
| |
| Identify the relevant reports | |
| |
| |
| Critically appraise the papers | |
| |
| |
| |
| Questions to ask when reading a paper | |
| |
| |
| Is it of interest? | |
| |
| |
| Why was it done? | |
| |
| |
| How was it done? | |
| |
| |
| What has it found? | |
| |
| |
| What are the implications? | |
| |
| |
| What else is of interest? | |
| |
| |
| |
| Identifying the research method | |
| |
| |
| Surveys | |
| |
| |
| Cohort studies | |
| |
| |
| Clinical trials | |
| |
| |
| Case-control studies | |
| |
| |
| |
| Interpreting the results | |
| |
| |
| Statistical significance | |
| |
| |
| The play of chance | |
| |
| |
| Probability | |
| |
| |
| The logic of statistical tests | |
| |
| |
| Confidence intervals | |
| |
| |
| Pitfalls in the analysis | |
| |
| |
| Outliers | |
| |
| |
| Skew | |
| |
| |
| Non-independence | |
| |
| |
| Serendipity masquerading as hypothesis | |
| |
| |
| Black-box analyses | |
| |
| |
| Bias | |
| |
| |
| Confounding | |
| |
| |
| |
| Introduction to the check lists | |
| |
| |
| Evaluating the flaws | |
| |
| |
| Best case/worst case/likely case | |
| |
| |
| |
| The standard appraisal questions | |
| |
| |
| Are the aims clearly stated? | |
| |
| |
| Was the sample size justified? | |
| |
| |
| Are the measurements likely to be valid and reliable? | |
| |
| |
| Are the statistical methods described? | |
| |
| |
| Did untoward events occur during the study? | |
| |
| |
| Were the basic data adequately described? | |
| |
| |
| Do the numbers add up? | |
| |
| |
| Was the statistical significance assessed? | |
| |
| |
| What do the main findings mean? | |
| |
| |
| How are null findings interpreted? | |
| |
| |
| Are important effects overlooked? | |
| |
| |
| How do the results compare with previous reports? | |
| |
| |
| What implications does the study have for your practice? | |
| |
| |
| |
| Appraising surveys | |
| |
| |
| The essential questions | |
| |
| |
| The specific questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the essential questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the specific questions | |
| |
| |
| The complete list for the appraisal of surveys | |
| |
| |
| |
| Appraising cohort studies | |
| |
| |
| The essential questions | |
| |
| |
| The specific questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the essential questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the specific questions | |
| |
| |
| The complete list for the appraisal of cohort studies | |
| |
| |
| |
| Appraising clinical trials | |
| |
| |
| The essential questions | |
| |
| |
| The specific questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the essential questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the specific questions | |
| |
| |
| The complete list for the appraisal of clinical trials | |
| |
| |
| |
| Appraising case-control studies | |
| |
| |
| The essential questions | |
| |
| |
| The specific questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the essential questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the specific questions | |
| |
| |
| The complete list for the appraisal of case-control studies | |
| |
| |
| |
| Appraising review papers | |
| |
| |
| The essential questions | |
| |
| |
| The specific questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the essential questions | |
| |
| |
| Rationale for the specific questions | |
| |
| |
| The complete list for the appraisal of review papers | |
| |
| |
| Index | |