Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists Essay

We will be reviewing a “keeper study” this week—evaluate an article by working through the following 7 question

Again, keeper studies can be identified using handy Rapid Critical Appraisal checklists consisting of a set of simple but important questions. Below are sample questions developed for use with quantitative studies that are applicable to most appraisal situations (it’s important to note that qualitative evidence, if it’s relevant to the clinical question, should not be dismissed):Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists Essay

Why was the study done?Make sure the study is directly relevant to the clinical question.
What is the sample size?Size can and should vary according to the nature of the study. Since determining a valid minimum sample size in a single study can be difficult, taking into account multiple studies is beneficial.
The answer to this question alone should not remove a study from the appraisal process..Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists Essay

Are instruments of the variables in the study clearly defined and reliable?Make sure the variables were consistently applied throughout the study and that they measured what the researchers said they were going to measure.Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists Essay
How was the data analyzed?
Make sure that any statistics are relevant to the clinical question.

Were there any unusual events during the study?If the sample size changed, for example, determine whether that has ramifications if you wish to replicate the study.
How do the results fit in with previous research in this area?Make sure the study builds on other studies of a similar nature.
What are the implications of the research for clinical practice? Ask whether the study addresses a relevant and important clinical issue.
As you work on your capstone project proposal, you will want to share your progress with your peers and instructor and seek or provide guidance or share insights.

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You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.
Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.

Why is critical appraisal needed?

Literature searches using databases like Medline or EMBASE often result in an overwhelming volume of results which can vary in quality. Similarly, those who browse medical literature for the purposes of CPD or in response to a clinical query will know that there are vast amounts of content available. Critical appraisal helps to reduce the burden and allow you to focus on articles that are relevant to the research question, and that can reliably support or refute its claims with high-quality evidence, or identify high-level research relevant to your practice.Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists Essay

While most of us know not to believe everything we may read in a newspaper (or on Twitter), it’s also true that we cannot rely 100% on papers written in even the most prestigious academic journals. Different types of studies reported in the literature also have different strengths and weaknesses. Even if the contents of a research paper are reliable, it is sometimes difficult to find the specific information you are looking for and interpret it accurately.

Critical appraisal allows us to:

  • reduce information overload by eliminating irrelevant or weak studies
  • identify the most relevant papers
  • distinguish evidence from opinion, assumptions, misreporting, and belief
  • assess the validity of the study
  • assess the usefulness and clinical applicability of the study
  • recognize any potential for bias.

Critical appraisal helps to separate what is significant from what is not. One way we use critical appraisal in the Library is to prioritize the most clinically relevant content for our Current Awareness Updates.

Each year, hundreds of medical journals publish thousands of reports of research studies (1). As the medical profession evolves and studies on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases are published, it is crucial to be able to recognize and differentiate the best available evidence (2). When reading any research, it is important to remember that there are “three broad areas to be considered: validity, results and relevance” (3). Health care professionals are increasingly required to base clinical decisions on the best available evidence (4). The term “best evidence” emphasizes the fact that it is the quality and not the quantity of evidence that is of crucial significance (5).

The concept of evidence based medicine (EBM), defined as the ‘‘integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values” (4). It brings together relevant and robust data by systematically obtaining, analyzing, and transforming research findings into clinical, management, and policy grounds (6). The five steps of EBM are formulating a clinical question using PICO tools, searching for evidence, critical appraisal of the literature, applicability of evidence and finally evaluating the new or amended practice (4, 7). In other words, evidence based medicine includes appraising studies critically, synthesizing research findings and applying rigorous scientific evidence in practice (8).Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists Essay

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The critical appraisal of research studies involves a watchful, systematic, unbiased, careful examination of all aspects of a study to judge its meaning, merits, significance and limitations as well as its trustworthiness, value and relevance in a particular context (2, 6), in order to direct professionals in their critical clinical decision making (9). Critical appraisal is a crucial step in the process of putting research into practice. Asking questions about the methodology of a study, scrutinizing its procedures of data collection and analysis, and assessing the way of its findings’ presentation will help researchers to determine whether the conclusions should influence practical decision-making (5).

The advantages of critical appraisal is to battle information overload, identifying research studies that are clinically important and continuing professional development (CPD) (7). A few of the instances in which using critical appraisal is important include conducting literature reviews for research proposals; evaluating the costs and benefits as well as effectiveness of health programs; designing new health programs; implementing health policies; and public health decision making, especially at the senior management level (5).

To conduct a critical appraisal it is required to have a previous research experience, knowledge of the topic, asking good searching questions, careful examination of the research process, a background in analysis and the skills in logical reasoning to examine the credibility of the study (8). Conducting critical appraisal can occur through a non-structured approach where the study is critically appraised when it is being studied, or through a structured approach by using a series of critical appraisal tools (CATs). CATs are structured checklists that allow individuals to check the methodological excellence of a study against agreed criteria. An advantage of using CATs is that a level of consistency could be applied through reviewing a number of studies. However, a potential disadvantage is that they may not ask about the potential sources of bias which is significant for the specific research questions (10).

To critically appraise a journal article, it is required to start by assessing the research methods used in the study. This could be carried out using critical appraisal checklists which are specific to the study designs.

To sum up, critical appraisal is an essential skill to assess the merit of clinical research and to identify potential threats to the validity of the research findings through following a systematic approach. Such evidence could be applied to clinical practice, which itself could enhance the quality of care and provide optimum clinical care for the patients. Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists Essay