Critical Appraisal

Yesterday Lori, Clare and I attended a course on critical appraisal for healthcare librarians run by Information Officers from the Support Unit for Research Evidence (SURE) at Cardiff University.

We had an interesting day, apart from having the opportunity to practice our CA skills we also discussed some resources which may be of use to you as you start to search for evidence and critically appraise it for yourself.

First there is the Database of Uncertainties about the Effects of Treatments (DUETs). This database was established to identify and publish those patients’ and clinicians’ questions about the effects of treatments which cannot be answered by referring to up-to-date systematic reviews of existing research evidence. Find it at www.duets.nhs.uk

Secondly we heard about the CONSORT checklist for Randomised Controlled Trials- CONsolidated Standards of Reporting Trials – which helps you to critically appraise published RCTs

http://www.consort-statement.org/index.aspx?o=1030

The checklist includes 22 items selected because empirical evidence indicates that not reporting the information is associated with biased estimates of treatment effect, or because the information is essential to judge the reliability or relevance of the findings.

Thirdly the following texts were reccomended as provideing good introductions to CA. They are all available in the library, the following links will take you to their Voyager records;

Qualitative research in health care edited by Catherine Pope and Nicholas Mays

http://voyager.swan.ac.uk/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=2701&recCount=10&recPointer=1&bibId=451040

How to read a paper : the basics of evidence-based medicine by Trisha Greenhalgh

http://voyager.swan.ac.uk/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=2731&recCount=10&recPointer=0&bibId=538093

The pocket guide to critical appraisal : a handbook for health care professionals by Iain K. Crombie

http://voyager.swan.ac.uk/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=2754&recCount=10&recPointer=0&bibId=374652

 

Hope some of that information is useful!

Katrina

 

 

Katrina Dalziel BA (Anrh) MCLIP Dirprwy Lyfrgellydd Gwyddor Iechyd a Meddygaeth Prifysgol Abertawe Y Ganolfan Llyfrgell a Gwybodaeth Parc Singleton Abertawe SA2 8PP ffôn: 01792 513305

Katrina Dalziel BA (Hons) MCLIP Deputy Health Science & Medical School Librarian Swansea University Library & Information Centre Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP tel: 01792 513305

WHO document on health equity

You can view the full PDF of Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action of the social determinants of health by the Commission of Social Determinants of Health, WHO.  This report sets out ”to marshal the evidence on what can be done to promote health equity, and to foster a global movement to achieve it.”