Conduct a critical appraisal of the four peer-reviewed articles you selected by completing the Evaluation Table within the Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template. Choose a total of four peer- reviewed articles that you selected related to your clinical topic of interest in Module 2 and Module 3.
Note: You can choose any combination of articles from Modules 2 and 3 for your Critical Appraisal. For example, you may choose two unfiltered research articles from Module 2 and two filtered research articles (systematic reviews) from Module 3 or one article from Module 2 and three articles from Module 3. You can choose any combination of articles from the prior Module Assignments as long as both modules and types of studies are represented.
Full Answer Section
- Assess the quality of the study. You can use a critical appraisal tool, such as the CASP checklist, to assess the quality of the study.
- Summarize the findings of the study. What were the main results of the study?
- Draw conclusions. What does the study tell us about your clinical topic of interest?
Once you have critically appraised the four peer-reviewed articles, you can complete the Evaluation Table within the Critical Appraisal Tool Worksheet Template. The Evaluation Table will help you to compare and contrast the four articles and to draw overall conclusions about your clinical topic of interest.
Example:
Clinical topic of interest: The effectiveness of ibuprofen for the treatment of pain.
Four peer-reviewed articles:
- Article 1: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the effectiveness of ibuprofen and acetaminophen for the treatment of pain.
- Article 2: A cohort study investigating the long-term risks associated with ibuprofen use.
- Article 3: A case-control study examining the relationship between ibuprofen use and the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Article 4: A systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of ibuprofen for the treatment of pain.
Evaluation Table:
| Article |
Type of study |
Quality assessment |
Findings |
Conclusions |
| Article 1 |
RCT |
High |
Ibuprofen was more effective than acetaminophen for the treatment of pain. |
Ibuprofen is an effective treatment for pain. |
| Article 2 |
Cohort study |
Moderate |
Ibuprofen use was associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. |
Ibuprofen use may be associated with long-term risks. |
| Article 3 |
Case-control study |
Low |
Ibuprofen use was associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. |
This study was observational and does not provide definitive evidence that ibuprofen causes gastrointestinal bleeding. |
| Article 4 |
Systematic review |
High |
Ibuprofen was an effective treatment for pain in all types of pain studied. |
Ibuprofen is an effective treatment for pain. |
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Overall conclusions:
Based on the critical appraisal of the four peer-reviewed articles, there is evidence that ibuprofen is an effective treatment for pain. However, there is also evidence that ibuprofen use may be associated with long-term risks, such as gastrointestinal bleeding. More research is needed to determine the long-term safety of ibuprofen use.
It is important to note that this is just an example. The Evaluation Table and overall conclusions will vary depending on the four peer-reviewed articles that you choose.