Create a body of evidence (Evaluation Table) to compare the three studies you appraised in weeks 4 and 5. See the evaluation table templates D1 and D2 (linked below) for examples.In weeks 4 and 5, you completed the critical appraisal of three studies. This week, you will meld these studies into a synthesis upon which to base practice and standards of care. To create this synthesis, you’ll compare the three studies using an “Evaluation Table” that includes the following:
- Citation: Author, Date of Publication, & Title
- Purpose of Study
- Conceptual Framework
- Design/ Method
- Sample/Setting
- Major Variables Studied and Their Definitions
- Measurement of Major Variables
- Data Analysis
- Study Findings
- Worth to Practice:
- Level of Evidence
- Strengths/Weaknesses
- Feasibility
- Conclusion
Your PICOT question is the driver for the evaluation table and synthesis tables. For example, with data analysis, while many statistics may be reported in a study, only those statistics that assist you in answering your clinical question should be placed in the table. Also, only the findings relevant to the clinical question should be placed in the table. Keeping the order of information placed in the table clear and simple is imperative for comparisons across studies for synthesis.
Some suggestions to make the table user-friendly are to:
(a) use abbreviations (e.g., RCT) with a legend for interpretation,
(b) keep the order of the information the same in each study, and
(c) place similar statistics in the same order in each study for easy comparison.
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