APPENDIX C
Appraisal Guide
Conclusions of a Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis
Citation:
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Synopsis
What organization or persons produced the systematic review (SR)?
How many persons were involved in conducting the review?
What topic or question did the SR address?
How were potential research reports identified?
What determined if a study was included in the analysis?
How many studies were included in the review?
What research designs were used in the studies?
What were the consistent and important across-studies conclusions?
Credibility
Was the topic clearly defined? Yes No Not clear
Was the search for studies and other evidence comprehensive and unbiased? Yes No Not clear
Was the screening of citations for inclusion based on explicit criteria? Yes No Not clear
*Were the included studies assessed for quality? Yes No Not clear
Were the design characteristics and findings of the included studies displayed or discussed in sufficient detail? Yes No Not clear
*Was there a true integration (i.e., synthesis) of the findings—not merely reporting of findings from each study individually? Yes No Not clear
*Did the reviewers explore why differences in findings might have occurred? Yes No Not clear
Did the reviewers distinguish between conclusions based on consistent findings from several good studies and those based on inferior evidence (number or quality)? Yes No Not clear
Which conclusions were supported by consistent findings from two or more good or high-quality studies? List
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Are the conclusions credible? Yes All Yes Some No
Clinical Significance
*Across studies, is the size of the treatment or the strength of the association found or the meaningfulness of qualitative findings strong enough to make a difference in patient outcomes or experiences of care? Yes No Not clear
Are the conclusions relevant to the care the nurse gives? Yes No Not clear
Are the conclusions clinically significant? Yes All Yes Some No
Applicability
Does the SR address a problem, situation, or decision we are addressing in our setting? Yes No Not clear
Are the patients in the studies or a subgroup of patients in the studies similar to those we see? Yes No Not clear
What changes, additions, training, or purchases would be needed to implement and sustain a clinical protocol based on these conclusions? Specify and list
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Is what we will have to do to implement the new protocol realistically achievable by us (resources, capability, commitment)? Yes No Not clear
How will we know if our patients are benefiting from our new protocol? Specify
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Are these conclusions applicable to our setting? Yes All Yes Some No
Should we proceed to design a protocol incorporating these conclusions? Yes All Yes Some No
* = Important criteria
Comments
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APP C-2 Brown
Brown APP C-1