Systematic Reviews on the Basis of Methodological Criteria
Affiliations:
Source: Physiotherapy.1997;83:284-289
DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9406(05)66175-5
Publication date:
1997 Jun
E-Publication date:
Not specified
Availability: abstract
Copyright: © 1997 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Language: English
Countries: Not specified
Location: Not specified
Correspondence address: Henrica C W de Vet, Department of Epidemiology, University of Maastricht, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands
Keywords
Article abstract
This paper describes a method of systematic reviewing. This method puts much emphasis on the methodological quality of the randomised clinical trials involved. Various items concerning the internal validity, precision and relevance of the studies are scored in such a way that next to the methodological quality the amount of uncertainty about it also becomes visible. These quality assessments are not only useful for systematic reviews, but also have an educational function for researchers with respect to the design and publication of a clinical trial.