Literature assessment table | profession Capstone and Practicum
Reviewing the research literature is an important step in evidence-based practices. The systematic review and evaluation current articles and research papers is necessary to support clinical decision making and practice. The following steps are typical for literature reviews:
- Determining your research problem or question
- A comprehensive search of relevant literature via electronic databases, reference list, and other sources.
- Evaluation of quality and relevancy
- Synthesizing and summarizing the results of the literature review
- Based on all the evidence, draw conclusions and make recommendations.
Depending on study design and sample size, the strength and level of evidence available for each article can vary. These are some examples of evidence strengths and levels:
- Level 1: Meta-analyses or systematic reviews of random controlled trials (RCTs).
- Level II: Experimentation or RCTs that are well designed
- Niveau III: Case-control or non-randomized observational studies
- Niveau IV: Expert opinion, case series or without controls
The evidence’s strength can be evaluated using other grading systems, such as GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment and Development). It considers factors like the quality of the evidence, balance between benefits and risks, patient values, preferences, etc.
The overall goal of a comprehensive review of all research is to ensure evidence-based practice. This can give healthcare professionals valuable insights into their clinical practice, and help them make better decisions.