PART 3.1 - APPRAISAL OF YOUR RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Assessing the quality of the available evidence has also been a key focus this semester.  Use the CASP tool for RCTs below to appraise the quality of your selected RCT.

Section A: Are the results of the trial valid?

1. Did the trial address a clearly focused issue?

2. Was the assignment of patients to treatments randomised?

3. Were all of the patients who entered the trial properly accounted for at its conclusion?

4. Were patients, health workers and study personnel 'blind' to treatment?

5. Were the groups similar at the start of the trial?

6. Aside from the experimental intervention were the groups treated equally?

7. How large was the treatment effect?

8. How precise was the estimate of the treatment effect?

9. Can the results be applied in your context? (or to the local population?)

10. Were all clinically important outcomes considered?

11. Are the benefits worth the harms and costs?

PART 3.2 - APPRAISAL OF YOUR QUALITATIVE ARTICLE

Use the CASP Appraisal for Qualitative Research below to decide whether the information presented in your paper is trustworthy and truly reflective of the participant's voice.

SCREENING QUESTIONS

1. Was there a clear statement of the aims?

2. Is a qualitative methodology appropriate?

3. Was the research design appropriate to address the aims of the research?

4. Was the recruitment strategy appropriate to the aims of the research?

5. Was the data collected in a way that addressed the research issue?

6. Has the relationship between researcher and participants been adequately considered?

7. Have ethical issues been taken into consideration?

8. Was the data analysis sufficiently rigorous?

9. Is there a clear statement of findings?

10. How valuable is the research?

PART 4.1 - PROVIDE AN OVERALL SUMMARY OF WHAT THESE TWO PAPERS CONTRIBUTE TO ANSWERING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION

HINT: Consider

• What was your original clinical question?
• What information do you think is useful from these two articles?
• Do you think the information in the articles is unbiased?
• If the information from the articles helpful in answering your overall question?

PART 4.2 - SYNTHESISING THE EVIDENCE

Finally, you need to summarise the evidence that relates to your clinical questions in plain language as if you were explaining the rationale for your clinical decision making to a patient within your care.

Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar