Making Sense of Critical Appraisal PDF

Introduction

In keeping with the ethos of evidence-based medical practice, critical appraisal of research papers has been introduced into the examination curricula of both undergraduate and postgraduate medical programmes alike. These new kinds of examinations are designed to test candidates' ability to critique the quality of evidence presented in research papers for clinical relevance.

Although many helpful courses and workshops do exist, it is a generally shared feeling among examinees and trainers alike that being a relatively new entity, the scope of critical appraisal as a subject remains somewhat unclear. To further muddy the waters, few concise texts geared towards examinations on critical appraisal exist to date, rendering exam preparation a tedious task in already unchartered territory. Unsurprisingly, therefore, some candidates approach this aspect of their examinations with an understandable degree of trepidation.

Ironically, once mastered, critical appraisal examinations represent an area in which candidates can score highly with a relatively high degree of certainty. This is less the case for essay or multiple-choice papers, never mind clinical examinations.

My intention in writing this book was to provide candidates with an easy-to-use exam-oriented text that covers most aspects of critical appraisal. Concepts are presented in a user-friendly format, particularly for the benefit of those who, like myself, find epidemiological and statistical concepts rather migraine-inducing.

Examinations apart, this book would also be a handy resource for all doctors and other professionals seeking to improve their skills at understanding and evaluating clinical research papers.

The first chapter deals with relevant aspects of general statistics and study design. This provides a solid basis for approaching the other chapters, which have been deliberately organized according to the types of studies that may be presented in research papers.

Chapters on economic analyses, qualitative research principles and clinical audit have been included, and the book also contains a glossary of epidemiological and statistical terms and definitions.

For the sake of clarity, fictitious research scenarios are presented alongside the main text where appropriate.

Enjoy!