Assessing “Best Evidence”: Issues in Grading the Quality of Studies for Systematic Reviews

摘要: Article-at-a-Glance Background Evidence-based medicine, clinical practice guidelines, quality and value of health services, science-based decision making are becoming mainstays the care sector. As part evidence-based movement, systematic reviews literature on questions increasingly common. Part structured approach to evaluating involves assessing individual studies included in reviews. Review To clarify issues this area, 1998 Agency for Health Care Policy Research commissioned a small project determine how its 12 Practice Centers were carrying out their (called evidence reports ). The number potential checklists, scales, similar tools grading methodology or relevance is large; reliability, validity, feasibility, utility these either unmeasured quite variable. Conclusions Numerous methodologic await definitive research answers, but meantime teams developing authoritative can take certain steps ensure that approaches articles meet applicable scientific standards. Clinicians, program administrators, policymakers then be confident overall strength study conclusions.