Evidence-Based Practice / Unit 4 EBP 0500 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Critically Appraising a Body of Evidence
The idea
The technique: run rapid critical appraisal to identify the keepers, table them so they can be seen as a body of evidence, extract the patterns across them into a synthesis, weigh number, magnitude and consistency, and close with a recommendation — asking of each study whether it is valid, reliable and applicable here.
In practice
Fifteen studies retrieved. Nine kept. Tabled by design and level, highest first. Patterns extracted: agreement on the main outcome, disagreement on one subgroup, corroboration from two lower-level studies. Certainty appraised by asking what each claim rests on. Recommendation written, with the subgroup disagreement stated in it.
Where people slip
The recommendation is the deliverable. Appraisal that stops at the synthesis has done the difficult part and withheld the useful part.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
- 0453The Overarching Rule
- 0458Four Phases of Critical Appraisal
- 0459Phase One — Rapid Critical Appraisal
- 0460Keeper Studies
- 0461Phase Two — Evaluation
- 0462Phase Three — Synthesis
- 0463Phase Four — The Recommendation
- 0465Every Possible Flaw Is Considered
- 0470Weighing a Body of Evidence
- 0474Corroboration Across Levels
- 0479Certainty
- 0480Appraising Certainty
- 0488Evidence-Based Decision Making
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