Memory Joggers: Worksheet for Decision (Cost) Analysis
1. Determine Relevance:
Is this article worth taking the time to read? If the answer to any of these questions is No, it may be better to read other articles first.
Based on the conclusion of the abstract or article:
A. Will this information, if true,
have a direct bearing on the
health of your patients and
is it something they will care
about?
Yes (Go on) No (stop)
B. Is the problem addressed by
the diagnostic test one that
is common to your practice
and is the test available to
you?
Yes (Go on) No (stop)
C. Will this information, if true,
require you to change
your current practice?
Yes (Go on) No (stop)
2. Determine Validity:
If the answers to all three questions above are Yes, then continued assessment of the article is mandatory. Study design flaws are common; fatal flaws are arresting.
D. Were all important strategies
and outcomes included?
Yes No (stop)
E. Was an explicit and
sensible process used to
identify, select, and combine
the evidence into probabili-
ties? Is the evidence
strong enough?
Yes No
F. Were the utilities (costs)
obtained in an explicit
and sensible way, from
credible sources? (Beware
utilities obtained from small
samples)
Yes No
G. Was the potential impact
of any uncertainty in the
evidence determined?
(Sensitivity anaylsis)
Yes No
H. How strong is the evidence
used in the analysis?
Could the uncertainty in
the evidence change the
result? (Look for sensitivity
to a given variable)
Yes No
Revision 1994: Information Mastery Working Group.
Adapted from: Richardson WS, et al. JAMA 1995;273:1292-5 |
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