7 - Evidence-Based Medicine

Question 1

What checklist would you use to aid critical appraisal?

Answer 1

CASP checklist

Question 2

List 6 common features of high quality studies.

Answer 2

1. Large sample size
2. Blinded
3. Control group
4. Random allocation
5. Low loss to follow-up
6. Replicable

Question 3

What does PICO stand for?

Answer 3

Patient
Intervention
Comparison
Outcome

Question 4

Define evidence-based medicine (EBM).

Answer 4

Using well-designed and well-conducted research to answer clinical problems

Question 5

List 4 reliable online databases for medical information.

Answer 5

1. PubMed
2. Medline
3. Embase
4. RSM

Question 6

You combine your clinical experience and evidence-based research to narrow down treatment options for a patient. List 3 additional considerations.

Answer 6

1. Cost
2. Side effects
3. Patient preferences

Question 7

In 1998, an infamous study in The Lancet linked the MMR vaccine to autism. List 5 reasons why this study was not scientifically robust.

Answer 7

1. Small sample size
2. Sample not random
3. No control group
4. Short follow-up period
5. Not replicable

Question 8

What is critical appraisal?

Answer 8

Process of examining research to assess its validity and relevance

Question 9

What are the doctor’s 3 roles with respect to medical research?

Answer 9

1. CONSUMER (i.e., collect research)
2. INTERPRETER (i.e., communicate research with patient)
3. CONTRIBUTOR (i.e., produce research)