Worksheet for
Using an Article About Prognosis
University of Alberta
EBM Toolkit
CITATION:
ARE
THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY VALID?
- Was there a representative and well-defined sample of patients at a similar point in the course of the disease?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
·
Inclusion and
exclusion criteria?
·
Selection
biases?
·
Stage of
disease?
- Was follow-up sufficiently long and complete?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
·
Reasons for
incomplete follow-up?
·
Prognostic
factors similar for patients lost- and not lost-to-follow-up?
- Were objective and unbiased outcome criteria used?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
·
Outcomes
defined at start of study?
·
Investigaotors
'blind to prognostic factors?
- Was there adjustment for important prognostic factors?
[
] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
- Overall, are the results of the study valid?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
WHAT
WERE THE RESULTS?
- How
large is the likelihood of the outcome event(s) in a specified period of
time?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
·
Survival
curves?
- How
precise was the estimate of the treatment
effect?
·
Confidence intervals?
WILL
THE RESULTS HELP ME IN CARING FOR MY PATIENTS?
- Were
the study patients similar to my own?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
·
Patients
similar for demographics, severity, co-morbidity and other prognostic factors?
·
Compelling
reason why the results should not be applied?
- Will
the results lead directly to selecting or avoiding therapy?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
- Are
the results useful for reassuring or counselling patients?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Can't Tell
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