Research Design, Appraisal, and Utilization Clinical
The focus of this course is on the critical examination of research, with an emphasis on maintaining the links between the research problem, theory, and research methods. Consideration is given primarily to quantitative research approaches, designs, and data collection and analysis. Strategies for critically analyzing research studies and for utilizing research findings in clinical practice are discussed. At the end of this course, you should be able to become a confident and efficient user of health care research, and an advocate for evidence-based practice.
Course content falls within the following major categories:
- Why should research be used to inform practice? The benefits – and uncertainty – of making decisions about the best form of care for a patient.
- Formulating a clear, answerable health care question.
- Finding the evidence: searching relevant databases.
- The advantages and disadvantages of various study designs including cohort and case-control studies, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews.
- Critical appraisal of various research publications using various tools and checklists. Issues include bias, confounding variables, statistical power, generalizability, interpreting results, and determining implications for practice.