Reading

Schmidt & Brown (2021). Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses:

• Chapter 15: Appraising Evidence to Determine Best Practice

Objectives

• Identify strategies used to reduce uncertainty when making decisions about best practice

• Explain the importance of critically appraising evidence

• Rank the strength of evidence using a hierarchy of evidence

• Identify tools that can be used to appraise the quality of evidence

How to Appraise Evidence for Strength

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has established important domains for grading the strength of evidence:

  • Study limitations

    • The degree to which included studies examining a specific outcome have adequate protection against bias

  • Directness

    • The degree to which evidence links interventions directly to a health outcome of importance and whether comparative studies are based on head-to-head studies

  • Consistency

    • The degree to which included studies find the same outcome or a similar magnitude of effect

  • Precision

    • The degree of certainty surrounding an estimated effect with respect to a given outcome

  • Reporting bias

    • Selective publishing or reporting of research findings based on the favorability of study direction or magnitude of effect

• Evidence hierarchies

  • Predetermined scales that guide decisions for ranking evidence; levels of evidence

  • See the Evidence Hierarchy page

How to Appraise Evidence for Quality

Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP)

There are 8 critical appraisal tools that are designed to be used when reading research:

1. CASP Randomised Controlled Trials Checklist

2. CASP Systematic Review Checklist

3. CASP Qualitative Studies Checklist

4. CASP Cohort Study Checklist

5. CASP Diagnostic Study Checklist

6. CASP Case Control Study Checklist

7. CASP Economic Evaluation Checklist

8. CASP Clinical Prediction Rule Checklist

OB / GYN / Neonatal

Pregnancy & Postpartum Hypertension (Team JMB)

Postpartum Care for Marginalized Communities (Team Postpartum)

Hyperemesis Gravidarum (Team Zofran)

Medical / Surgical

Pressure Injuries (Team Friction and Shear)

Post Op Nausea (Team Ginger)

Social Justice

LGBTQIA+ Health Education Curriculum (Team Rainbow Rally Girls)