Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Complete Issue PDF
    • Archive
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Teaching Slides
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • CME/MOC
    • CME Quizzes
    • MOC Claiming
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Complete Issue PDF
    • Archive
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Teaching Slides
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • CME/MOC
    • CME Quizzes
    • MOC Claiming
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Evidence-based Medicine

Critical Appraisal of the Literature (Critical Appraisal Tools)

Marc A. Raslich and Gary M. Onady
Pediatrics in Review April 2007, 28 (4) 132-138; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.28-4-132
Marc A. Raslich
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Gary M. Onady
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Download PDF
  1. Marc A. Raslich, MD*
  2. Gary M. Onady, MD, PhD*
  1. *Medicine-Pediatrics Program, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio

Introduction

Teaching the incorporation of evidence-based medicine (EBM) into clinical decision-making is the major goal of this series. The first article defined and introduced the process of EBM. (1) The second two articles in the series introduced the first two steps and tools used in the EBM process, which are to develop an answerable question (2) and then to conduct an evidence-based search. (3) Before integrating this knowledge into clinical decision-making, the found information must be tested for validity. This third step in the EBM process is referred to commonly as critical appraisal. Critical appraisal forms the bridge between finding relevant data and applying the information to clinical practice.

How do we ensure that we have found the best answer to our clinical question? When using the medical literature to answer our questions, sometimes we can rely on others to do the background work for us. For example, a previous article in this series (3) refers to secondary sources, including synopses such as AAP Grand Rounds and syntheses such as the Cochrane Database. Secondary sources refer to publications that review research articles independently and appraise them for evidence. These resources can be useful but cannot be the sole source of information. Secondary resources do not always address specific clinical questions.

Therefore, the ability to evaluate the medical literature personally and judge its value independent of assessments made by others is essential. Critical appraisal provides the skill for evaluating the literature and reaffirming the quality of the originally structured answerable question. (4) This process enables physicians to recognize potential problems with the evidence, allowing use of the results in making an informed decision or deciding that the data are of insufficient quality to draw any useful conclusions. (5)

Thousands of studies are published each year. Given the sheer quantity of …

Individual Login

Log in
You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.

Institutional Login

via Institution

You may be able to gain access using your login credentials for your institution. Contact your librarian or administrator if you do not have a username and password.

Log in through your institution

If your organization uses OpenAthens, you can log in using your OpenAthens username and password. To check if your institution is supported, please see this list. Contact your library for more details.

Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 2 days for US$25.00

Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.

Offer Reprints

PreviousNext
Back to top

Advertising Disclaimer »

In this issue

Pediatrics in Review: 28 (4)
Pediatrics in Review
Vol. 28, Issue 4
April 2007
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
View this article with LENS
PreviousNext
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Evidence-based Medicine
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Request Permissions
Article Alerts
Log in
You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.
Or Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Citation Tools
Evidence-based Medicine
Marc A. Raslich, Gary M. Onady
Pediatrics in Review Apr 2007, 28 (4) 132-138; DOI: 10.1542/pir.28-4-132

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Evidence-based Medicine
Marc A. Raslich, Gary M. Onady
Pediatrics in Review Apr 2007, 28 (4) 132-138; DOI: 10.1542/pir.28-4-132
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Print
Download PDF
Insight Alerts
  • Table of Contents

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Introduction
    • Digging Deeper
    • Checking Validity: The Problem of Bias
    • Reporting Results
    • Applicability
    • Conclusion
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments

Related Articles

  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Perceptions and Practices of Dental School Faculty Regarding Evidence-Based Dentistry
  • Evidence-based Medicine: Applying Valid Evidence
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Review of Scabies Infestation and Selected Common Cutaneous Infections
  • Pediatric Ingestions: New High-Risk Household Hazards
  • Iron Deficiency: Implications Before Anemia
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Subjects

  • Medical Education
    • Research Methods & Statistics
    • Teaching/Curriculum Development
    • Medical Education
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
    • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Journal Info
  • Editorial Board
  • ABP Content Specifications Map
  • Overview
  • Licensing Information
  • Authors
  • Author Guidelines
  • Submit My Manuscript
  • Librarians
  • Institutional Subscriptions
  • Usage Stats
  • Support
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
  • Media Kit
  • About
  • International Access
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • AAP.org
  • shopAAP
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Instagram
  • Visit American Academy of Pediatrics on Facebook
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Twitter
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Youtube
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics