Critical Evaluation of Research in Physical Rehabilitation: Towards Evidence-Based Practice / Edition 1

by Joan M. Walker PhD, PT, Antoine Helewa MSc(Clin Epid), PT

Overview

This informative text presents the skills you need to critically evaluate clinical literature and research reports, incorporating the findings into professional practice. It covers research methodology and design; how to perform a literature search plus how to review and appraise papers on outcomes assessment, diagnostic tests, economic evaluations, systematic reviews and meta analyses. A review of the scope and value of international collaborations and health care systems in the 21st century are also discussed. An invaluable text for those needing guidance in this area.

Explains the various types of research and their construction

Offers practical checklists to help readers appraise different kinds of research

Utilises examples of actual published papers to demonstrate the critical evaluation process

Discusses international collaborative attempts to build a foundation for evidence-based practice

Provides contact information for helpful research resources

Includes a glossary, review exercises, and other learning tools

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780721673905
Publisher:	Elsevier Health Sciences
Publication date:	12/20/1999
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Helewa, Antoine, MSc (Clin Epid), PT (Univ of Western Ontario); Walker, Joan M., PhD, PT (Dalhousie Univ)

Table of Contents

The Nuts and Bolts of Research: Terms, Concepts, and Designs. Where to Look for the Evidence - The Library Search. How to Start a Critical Review of the Literature. How to Review Articles on Outcome Measures and Diagnostic Tests. How to Review Articles About Treatment Efficacy and Effectiveness. How to Understand an Article About Economic Evaluation. How to Evaluate a Review Article or a Meta-Analysis. International Collaborations. Health Care in the 21st Century. Appendices. Elements of a Research Paper and a Research Proposal. Sample Evaluation Sheets. Examples of Published Papers. Cochrane Collaboration. Glossary. Subject Index.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Kenneth Bush, MPT, PhD (Pacific University)
Description: This book is designed to help clinicians and students critically evaluate research relating to clinical practice. There are specific chapters and checklists for evaluating outcome measures, treatment effectiveness, economic evaluation, and meta-analysis.
Purpose: The purpose is to help students and clinicians understand the basics of research so they can evaluate research properly. The authors make a strong case for the importance of clinical research that is not currently being used. They have created a reasonably good introductory text to begin the process of critical evaluation of research literature.
Audience: The text is designed for the student and clinician in allied health fields. It is appropriately focused for the clinician who already has a basic understanding of the research process and its pitfalls. The authors are both experienced clinicians and researchers who know and understand the field.
Features: An overview of research design serves as an introduction, and then the authors move to the topic of conducting a review of research literature. In Chapter 2 they describe the options for conducting a literature review in the area of allied health topics. In the main portion of the book (Chapters 3-7) they detail systematic approaches to evaluating different types of research. An appendix contains checklists to help the reader evaluate the quality of different types of clinical research literature. Disappointingly, the coverage of material in Chapter 1 is too broard and rather superficial, and the information presented in Chapters 8 and 9 is only mildly related to the purpose of the book.
Assessment: This book is a good starting point for someone who has no experience but an interest in improving their critical reading of research literature. However, the shallow coverage in Chapter 1 makes it difficult to use this book as a text for a research course. Chapter 2 would be beneficial as a supplement to a more substantial text on research design such as Portney's Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, 2nd Edition (Prentice Hall, 2000). For the practicing clinician, however, this would be a very good book because it is easy to read and has a structured approach and checklists to guide the evaluation of research studies.

Doody's Review Service

3 Stars from Doody

This book is designed to help clinicians and students critically evaluate research relating to clinical practice. There are specific chapters and checklists for evaluating outcome measures, treatment effectiveness, economic evaluation, and meta-analysis. The purpose is to help students and clinicians understand the basics of research so they can evaluate research properly. The authors make a strong case for the importance of clinical research that is not currently being used. They have created a reasonably good introductory text to begin the process of critical evaluation of research literature. The text is designed for the student and clinician in allied health fields. It is appropriately focused for the clinician who already has a basic understanding of the research process and its pitfalls. The authors are both experienced clinicians and researchers who know and understand the field. An overview of research design serves as an introduction, and then the authors move to the topic of conducting a review of research literature. In Chapter 2 they describe the options for conducting a literature review in the area of allied health topics. In the main portion of the book (Chapters 3-7) they detail systematic approaches to evaluating different types of research. An appendix contains checklists to help the reader evaluate the quality of different types of clinical research literature. Disappointingly, the coverage of material in Chapter 1 is too broard and rather superficial, and the information presented in Chapters 8 and 9 is only mildly related to the purpose of the book. This book is a good starting point for someone who has no experience but an interest in improving theircritical reading of research literature. However, the shallow coverage in Chapter 1 makes it difficult to use this book as a text for a research course. Chapter 2 would be beneficial as a supplement to a more substantial text on research design such as Portney's Foundations of Clinical Research: Applications to Practice, 2nd Edition (Prentice Hall, 2000). For the practicing clinician, however, this would be a very good book because it is easy to read and has a structured approach and checklists to guide the evaluation of research studies.

Kenneth Bush