Systematic Reviews to Support Evidence-Based Medicine

For many healthcare professionals there is a mystery surrounding systematic reviews of healthcare literature. How did they select certain studies and reject others? What did they do to pool results? How did a bunch of insignificant findings suddenly become significant? With this book you will embark on a journey that will provide the key information required to demystify these intrigues. By understanding the principles behind reviews of healthcare literature, you will be able to assess the credibility of the recommendations handed down to you in published reviews and practice guidelines. Following the success of the first edition, Systematic Reviews to Support Evidence-based Medicine simplifies and explains the key steps involved in reviewing literature, directing its deliberations at a readership of nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, public health personnel, new reviewers and students of epidemiology and health technology assessment. This second edition retains the strong emphasis on effectiveness, but the reader is presented with six brand new case studies, and all of the original material has been thoroughly edited and revised to bring it up to date and bring it in line with current knowledge. The authors are veterans of over 150 systematic reviews. Over the years they have worked with healthcare commissioners, clinicians and other decision-makers, producing reviews to inform policy and practice. They have collaborated with other epidemiologists and statisticians to advance methods for undertaking systematic reviews and between them, they have a wide and appropriate range of experience of reviewing and applying findings of healthcare research. Written in a concise and easy-to-digest form, and avoiding technical jargon, Systematic Reviews to Support Evidence-based Medicine remains a must-read for all healthcare professionals.