Reading the Medical literature
American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) introduction to critical appraisal and evidence-based medicine.
Key Concepts addressed:- 1-3 Association is not the same as causation
- 1-6 Expert opinion is not always right
- 2-1 Comparisons are needed to identify treatment effects
- 2-2 Comparison groups should be similar
- 2-5 People should not know which treatment they get
- 2-13 Relative measures of effects can be misleading
- 2-17 Don’t confuse “statistical significance” with “importance”
- 2-15 Fair comparisons with few people or outcome events can be misleading
Details
Applying Evidence to Practice
Reading the Medical Literature is designed as a resource for Fellows of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and others to offer a better understanding of evidence-based medicine, particularly as it relates to the development of ACOG’s clinical practice guidelines.
As evidence-based medicine continues to develop and to be integrated into clinical practice, an understanding of its basic elements is critical in translating the medical literature into appropriate clinical practice.