Critical Appraisal by Keren Moskal

kerenmoskal — 2021-09-03 02:13:03 UTC

2. Was the assignment of participants to interventions randomised?
CONSIDER:

How was randomisation carried out? Was the method appropriate?
Was randomisation sufficient to eliminate systematic bias?
Was the allocation sequence concealed from investigators and participants?

Hint: information on addressing bias is usually found in the methods section or sometimes the abstract

kerenmoskal — 2021-09-03 02:13:43 UTC

3. Were all participants who entered the study
accounted for at its conclusion?

Were losses to follow-up and exclusions after randomisation accounted for?
Were participants analysed in the study groups to which they were randomised (intention-to-treat analysis)?
Was the study stopped early? If so, what was the reason?

Hint: RCTs usually include a flowchart with follow up section - based on CONSORT statement

Abstract

kerenmoskal — 2021-09-09 02:20:02 UTC

kerenmoskal — 2021-09-09 02:24:28 UTC

1. Did the study address a clearly focused research question?
CONSIDER:

Was the study designed to assess the outcomes of an intervention?
Is the research question ‘focused’ in terms of: PICO

Hint: This can usually be found with a quick read of abstract

kerenmoskal — 2021-09-16 00:19:57 UTC

kerenmoskal — 2021-09-16 00:32:28 UTC

4. Blinding

Were the participants ‘blind’ to intervention they were given?
Were the investigators ‘blind’ to the intervention they were giving to participants?
Were the people assessing/analysing outcome/s ‘blinded’?

Hint: information on addressing bias is usually found in the methods section or sometimes the abstract

kerenmoskal — 2021-09-16 00:34:06 UTC

5. Were the study groups similar at the start of
the randomised controlled trial?
CONSIDER:
• Were the baseline characteristics of each study group (e.g. age, sex, socio-economic group) clearly set out?
• Were there any differences between the study groups that could affect the outcome/s?

Hint: baseline info usually found in table 1

kerenmoskal — 2021-09-16 00:34:54 UTC

kerenmoskal — 2022-07-29 04:50:48 UTC

kerenmoskal — 2022-07-29 05:01:47 UTC

Full RCT paper

kerenmoskal — 2022-07-29 05:16:30 UTC

Full CASP RCT checklist

kerenmoskal — 2022-07-29 05:17:35 UTC

kerenmoskal — 2022-07-29 05:28:36 UTC

Full systematic review & meta-analysis paper

2023-04-03 23:14:18 UTC

CASP systematic review checklist

2023-04-03 23:16:19 UTC

Abstract (excerpt)

2023-04-03 23:17:35 UTC

Skim the abstract for some context

What can we learn from the forest plot?

2023-04-03 23:18:38 UTC

Remember concepts such as…

• p-values

• Cohen’s d

• confidence intervals

• the pooled effect (red diamond)

Note: The intervention was manipulation of the patient-clinician relationship via e.g. "...better attention to non-verbal signals, not interrupting, sitting down, making appropriate eye contact".

library586 — 2024-07-30 02:19:04 UTC

Were the effects of intervention reported comprehensively?

Which statistical tests were used?
Were p values reported?
Were confidence intervals (CIs) reported?
What outcomes were measured, and were they clearly specified?
Was there any missing or incomplete data?
Were potential sources of bias identified?

library586 — 2024-07-30 02:19:27 UTC