Library Class and Subject Guides: Athletic Training & Evidence-Based Practice: 3. APPRAISE

Appraise

APPRAISE the evidence	3. Appraise that evidence for its validity (closeness to the truth) and applicability (usefulness in clinical practice)

We have now identified current information which can answer our clinical question. The next step is to read the article and evaluate the study. There are three basic questions that need to be answered for every type of study:

Are the results of the study valid?
What are the results?
Will the results help in caring for my athlete?

Scales to Help You Appraise

The health care community has developed scales to help you appraise your articles.

PEDro Scale
Appraisal checklist created for the Physiotherapy Evidence Database
CEBM Critical Appraisal tools
Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine provides research appraisal lists including:
- Systematic Reviews Critical Appraisal Sheet
- Diagnostics Critical Appraisal Sheet
- Prognosis Critical Appraisal Sheet
- Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) Critical Appraisal Sheet
- Critical Appraisal of Qualitative Studies Sheet
- IPD Review Sheet
Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT)
A patient-centered approach to grading evidence in the medical literature by the American Academy of Family Physicians