Podcast
Questions and Answers
A systematic review's purpose is always specific to one clinical question.
False
Inclusion and exclusion criteria in a systematic review are defined for patients, not studies.
False
A systematic review can only inform clinical practice if it directly addresses your clinical question.
False
Outcome measures in a systematic review are always relevant to your clinical question.
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Statistical heterogeneity is not a necessary consideration in a meta-analysis.
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The purpose of a systematic review is usually stated at the beginning of the Introduction.
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A systematic review can only provide evidence to support one specific treatment strategy.
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The inclusion and exclusion criteria in a systematic review are only relevant to the study types included.
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Primary studies are also known as 'studies of studies'.
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A systematic review can only be conducted if all the included studies have the same outcome measures.
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A meta-analysis is a statistical method used to conduct primary studies.
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Determining the applicability of a systematic review involves evaluating the quality of the studies included.
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A comprehensive literature search is only necessary for systematic reviews, not for primary studies.
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Clinical heterogeneity is always assessed in a meta-analysis.
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Systematic reviews are always extended by pooling data from several studies in a process of meta-analysis.
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The purpose of a systematic review is to provide a brief summary of a single primary study.
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A systematic review is a type of interventional study.
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The Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines are used to appraise the quality of systematic reviews.
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Determining applicability is a step in critically appraising research evidence.
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A literature search is conducted in Step 3 of the EBP process.
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Summarizing the clinical bottom line is a step in critically appraising research evidence.
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Evaluating study quality is a step in critically appraising research evidence.
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Applying reviews to clinical cases is a step in the EBP process.
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Interpreting results is a step in critically appraising research evidence.
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Study Notes
Systematic Review Appraisal
- A systematic review is a secondary research study that summarizes information from multiple primary studies.
- It is characterized by a comprehensive literature search, specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a systematic analysis of the methodological quality of the studies.
Key Questions for Appraising Systematic Reviews
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A: Determining Applicability of a Systematic Review
- Is the study’s purpose relevant to my clinical question?
- Are the inclusion and exclusion criteria clearly defined and are studies that would answer my clinical question likely to be included?
- Are the types of interventions investigated relevant to my clinical question?
- Are the outcome measures relevant to my clinical question and are they conducted in a clinically realist manner?
- Is the study population (sample) sufficiently similar to my patient to justify expectation that my patient would respond similarly to the population?
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B: Determining Quality of a Systematic Review
- Was the literature search comprehensive?
- Was an objective, reproducible, and reliable method used to judge the quality of the studies in the systematic review?
- Was a standardized method used to extract data from studies included in the systematic review?
- Was clinical heterogeneity assessed to determine whether a meta-analysis was justified?
Interpreting Results of a Systematic Review
- Statistical heterogeneity should be assessed if a meta-analysis was conducted.
- Methods used to report the results of the systematic review should be considered.
Summarizing the Clinical Bottom Line of a Systematic Review
- How does the systematic review inform clinical practice related to my clinical question?
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Process
- Step 1: Identify the need for information and develop a focused and searchable clinical question.
- Step 2: Conduct a search to find the best possible research evidence to answer the question.
- Step 3: Critically appraise the research evidence for applicability and quality.
- Step 4: Integrate the critically appraised research evidence with clinical expertise and the patient’s values and circumstances.
- Step 5: Evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of the efforts in Steps 1-4 and identify ways to improve them in the future.
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Description
Evaluate the relevance and applicability of a systematic review study to your clinical question. Assess the study's purpose, methods, and results to inform your clinical practice.
