Evaluating a Study: The BMJ PARACHUTE Example

 

For those of you have never taken time to read the medical literature--or if such articles seem like a foreign language, here's a quick guide of what to look for when critically appraising a research study, along with a sample article from The BMJ:

Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma when jumping from aircraft: randomized controlled trial. *

Yeh RW, Valsdottir LR, Yeh MW, Shen C, Kramer DB, Strom JB, Secemsky EA, Healy JL, Domeier RM, Kazi DS, Nallamothu BK; PARACHUTE Investigators.

BMJ. 2018 Dec 13;363:k5094. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k5094. 

PMID:   30545967     

PubMed Citation with Abstract      Link to Article at BMJ   Link to PDF

 

Sample questions for evaluating a study:

• Has the study's aim been clearly stated?
• Does the sample accurately reflect the population?
• Has the sampling method and size been described and justified?
• Have exclusions been stated?
• Is the control group easily identified?
• Is the loss to follow-up detailed?
• Can the results be replicated?
• Are there confounding factors?
• Are the conclusions logical?
• Can the results be extrapolated to other populations?
• Does it make sense?

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Suggestions for Reading a Scientific Paper

Hint: Don't read it start to finish. You may decide to skip around as follows:

• Read the Abstract
• Skim the Introduction
• Skip the Methods for now
• Read Results
• Read Introduction
• Read Discussion
• Read Methods - If the methods has a high risk of bias, find a different article.  

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* The PARACHUTE trial satirically highlights some of the limitations of randomized controlled trials. Nevertheless, we believe that such trials remain the gold standard for the evaluation of most new treatments. The PARACHUTE trial does suggest, however, that their accurate interpretation requires more than a cursory reading of the abstract. Rather, interpretation requires a complete and critical appraisal of the study. In addition, our study highlights that studies evaluating devices that are already entrenched in clinical practice face the particularly difficult task of ensuring that patients with the greatest expected benefit from treatment are included during enrolment. (p.5-6)

Learn more about Critical Appraisal on our Evidence-Based Practice LibGuide. 

Questions or comments?  Please contact your AW Librarians:

       Michele Matucheski and Kellee Selden