Systematic Reviews to Support Evidence-Based Medicine How to Review and Apply Findings of Healthcare Research

by Khan, Khalid S.; Kunz, Regina; Kleijnen, Jos; Antes, Gerd

• ISBN13: 9781853155253
• ISBN10: 185315525X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-11-15
• Publisher: Hodder Education Publishers

Summary

For many healthcare professionals there is a mystery surrounding systematic reviews of healthcare literature. How did they select certain studies and reject others? What did they do to pool results? How did a bunch of insignificant findings suddenly become significant? With this book you will embark on a journey that will provide the key information required to demystify these intrigues. By understanding the principles behind reviews of healthcare literature, you will be able to assess the credibility of the recommendations handed down to you in published reviews and practice guidelines. Systematic reviews provide strong evidence to underpin evidence-based medicine. With increasing focus on generating guidance and recommendations for practice through systematic reviews, there is a need for healthcare professionals to understand the principles of preparing such reviews. This book simplifies and explains the key steps involved in reviewing literature, directing its deliberations at a readership of nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, public health personnel, new reviewers and students of epidemiology and health technology assessment. The authors are veterans of over 150 systematic reviews. Over the years they have worked with healthcare commissioners, clinicians and other decision-makers, producing reviews to inform policy and practice. They have collaborated with other epidemiologists and statisticians to advance methods for undertaking systematic reviews and between them, they have a wide and appropriate range of experience of reviewing and applying findings of healthcare research. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Preface	iii
About the authors	v
Acknowledgements	vii
List of abbreviations	xi
Introduction	1	(6)
Steps of a systematic review	7	(68)
Step 1: Framing questions for a review	9	(12)
Step 2: Identifying relevant literature	21	(14)
Step 3: Assessing the quality of the literature	35	(12)
Step 4: Summarizing the evidence	47	(14)
Step 5: Interpreting the findings	61	(14)
Case studies	75	(46)
Case study 1: Identifying and appraising systematic reviews	77	(10)
Case study 2: Reviewing evidence on safety of a public health intervention	87	(10)
Case study 3: Reviewing evidence on effectiveness of therapy	97	(12)
Case study 4: Reviewing evidence on test accuracy	109	(12)
Suggested reading	121	(2)
Glossary	123	(10)
Index	133