Deck 15: Appraising Conclusions of Systematic Reviews With Narrative Synthesis

Question 1

Which of the following questions is part of appraising the credibility of a systematic review?

A) What topic or question did the systematic review address?
B) Was the search for study reports comprehensive and unbiased?
C) Is the size of the clinical effect large enough to make a difference in patient well-being?
D) Are there any reasons why the conclusions might not apply to your setting?

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is not a major determinant of the credibility of a conclusion of a systematic review?

A) The number of studies with similar findings
B) The quality of the studies addressing the issue
C) The journal in which the IRR was published
D) The quality of the synthesis across studies

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In evaluating the applicability of the findings of a systematic review, which of the following is a major determinant?

A) Whether only high-quality studies were included
B) Whether the objectives of the review were clear
C) Whether the patient samples in the studies were similar to the setting where you are considering using the findings
D) Whether a comprehensive search for study reports was conducted

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which aspect of appraisal of a systematic review is the following question a part of? How were potential individual research reports identified?

A) Synopsis
B) Credibility
C) Clinical Significance
D) Applicability

Question 5

How are the conclusions of a systematic review reached?

A) By statistically combining findings from individual studies
B) By cross-study comparisons and logical reasoning
C) By polling experts in the field
D) By focusing on the findings of large studies

Question 6

Which of the following is not a criterion that should be used when appraising the credibility of the conclusions of a systematic review?

A) Findings are consistent across several studies.
B) Explicit criteria were used for study inclusion and exclusion.
C) The reviewer has conducted a study about the question or topic.
D) A comprehensive search was conducted.

Question 7

The decision regarding whether the conclusions of systematic review are applicable to your nursing practice is determined by:

A) the setting and patients included in the original studies included in the review.
B) the use of only randomized clinical trials in the review.
C) the credentials of the persons performing the review.
D) whether the included studies were of several different populations.