Unit Eight: Principles of Critical Appraisal - Cochrane Public Health ...
Unit Eight: Principles of Critical Appraisal - Cochrane Public Health ...
Unit Eight: Principles of Critical Appraisal - Cochrane Public Health ...
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Bias<br />
“The medical literature can be<br />
compared to a jungle. It is fast<br />
growing, full <strong>of</strong> dead wood, sprinkled<br />
with hidden treasure and infested with<br />
spiders and snakes.”<br />
Peter Morgan, Scientific Editor,<br />
Canadian Medical Association<br />
1. Selection bias<br />
2. Allocation bias<br />
3. Confounding<br />
4. Blinding (detection bias)<br />
5. Data collection methods<br />
6. Withdrawals and drop-outs<br />
7. Statistical analysis<br />
8. Intervention integrity<br />
Selection bias<br />
Recruit participants<br />
Intervention<br />
Allocation<br />
Allocation <strong>of</strong><br />
concealment<br />
Control<br />
Selection bias<br />
Confounding<br />
Recruiting study population<br />
Exposed to<br />
intervention<br />
Follow-up<br />
Outcome<br />
Integrity <strong>of</strong><br />
intervention<br />
Intention-to-treat<br />
Withdrawals<br />
Blinding <strong>of</strong> outcome<br />
assessment<br />
Not exposed to<br />
intervention<br />
Follow-up<br />
Outcome<br />
• Differences in the way patients are<br />
accepted or rejected for a trial, and the<br />
way in which interventions are assigned<br />
to individuals<br />
• Difficult in public health studies<br />
Analysis<br />
Data collection<br />
methods<br />
Statistical analysis<br />
Analysis<br />
Question One: checklist<br />
Allocation bias<br />
a) Are the individuals selected to<br />
participate in the study likely to be<br />
representative <strong>of</strong> the target<br />
population?<br />
b) What percentage <strong>of</strong> the selected<br />
individuals/schools, etc agreed to<br />
participate?<br />
Randomisation (coin-toss,<br />
computer)<br />
Allocation schedule<br />
Allocation<br />
Intervention<br />
Control<br />
Alternate, days <strong>of</strong> week,<br />
record number<br />
Allocation<br />
Intervention<br />
Control<br />
2