[EQ] Search for Evidence and Critical Appraisal: Health Services Research

 

Search for Evidence and Critical Appraisal - Health Services Research (HSR)

KCE Process notes

 

Carine Van de Voorde, Christian Léonard

Brussels: Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE); 2007. KCE Process notes, 2007

 

Available online as PDF file [26p.] at: http://www.kce.fgov.be/Download.aspx?ID=878

 

“….This note describes the methodology to conduct a review of the literature on a health services research (HSR) topic. It provides a systematic approach to achieve uniformity in retrieval and quality of content. In consultation with KCE the methodology may be adapted to suit specific purposes or approaches of the literature review. This note (version June 2007) should be considered as a living document. To take account of new evidence or new methods, yearly updates are required. The next update is scheduled for June 2008.

 

“….Research topics in the domain of HSR are often ‘complex and multidimensional’ topics studied with different research methodologies. In this note we structure possible HSRresearch topics into four broad domains: (1) the organizational structure of the health care system, (2) the way it is financed, (3) the payment scheme of providers and services and (4) the provision of services, including the benefits package….”

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION

2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO LITERATURE SEARCH

2.1 STEP 1 – DEVELOPMENT OF A REVIEW PROTOCOL

2.2 STEP 2 – FORMULATING THE REVIEW QUESTION(S)

2.3 STEP 3 – LOCATING STUDIES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION

2.3.1 Electronic bibliographic databases

2.3.2 Other sources

2.3.3 Documenting a search strategy

2.4 STEP 4 – SELECTING STUDIES AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION

2.4.1 Evidence sifting

2.4.2 Study selection criteria

2.5 STEP 5 – CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE EVIDENCE

2.6 STEP 6 – DATA EXTRACTION

2.7 STEP 7 – ANALYSING AND INTERPRETING RESULTS

3 TEMPLATE FOR THE REPORTING OF A LITERATURE SEARCH

4 INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

4.1 SELECTION OF THE COUNTRIES

4.2 SELECTION OF THE VARIABLES

4.3 AWARENESS OF IMPLICIT HYPOTHESES

5 APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 2: DOCUMENTING A SEARCH STRATEGY

APPENDIX 3: FLOW DIAGRAM OF STUDY SELECTION PROCESS

APPENDIX 4: EXAMPLE OF DATA EXTRACTION FORM

6 REFERENCES AND USEFUL LINKS

6.1 REFERENCES

 

6.2 USEFUL LINKS

Cochrane: www.cochrane.org

CRD: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/report4.htm

QUORUM statement: http://www.consort-statement.org/QUOROM.pdf

Quality appraisal checklists

• http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/report4.htm

• http://www.phru.nhs.uk/casp/critical_appraisal_tools.htm#qualitative

Sources of information

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/corelib/hecon.html

• http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/googlescholar/greylit_manual_May11.pdf

• http://www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/refr_web.nsf/Home

• http://www.nrr.nhs.uk/ .

• http://www.oaister.org/

• http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2004/march04/graylit.htm

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive//2060905/nichsr/ehta/chapter10.html

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/corelib/hecon.html

 

 

 

*     *      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ IKM Area]

"Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members".
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website: http://www.paho.org/
EQUITY List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html

 

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.