2/20/2011

RAPID CRITICAL APPRAISALS

OF RESEARCH EVIDENCE

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF NURSING
JUDITH A FLOYD PHD RN FAAN
PROFESSOR

SOURCE OF TABLE TEMPLATE: Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E.

(2011, Appendix D). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A
guide to best practice (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.

Steps in the Rapid Critical

Appraisal Process

1. Identify a tentative PICO question

2. “Float” the PICO question by peers in order
to obtain suggestions :
 Is the question clear?
 Does the question garner support?
 Are any cautions expressed?
Discuss suggestions from peers in your PICO
Group

Steps in the Rapid Critical

Appraisal Process
3. Search for scientific evidence
 Begin by looking for systematic reviews
 Examine descriptions of primary studies included in
located reviews; retrieve strongest studies
 Supplement with searches for additional primary
studies

4. Select strongest reports based on PICO

question and study design
 Use Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt Rating System (2011,
p. 12) and Greengalph’s (2010) chapters on types of
papers to rank the research papers from strongest to
weakest evidence for your Group PICO question.

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Steps in the Rapid Critical

Appraisal Process

5. Set aside (for now) papers that are thought to be

weaker sources of evidence, are older, or that
provide context but do not have the best designs
for answering the Group PICO question
NOTE: Some authors make excellent points in the
introductions and discussions of their research reports, which
your Group may find useful as context for your slide
presentation at end of term. Next semester students will
update and expand the scope of their reviews, so having
additional related studies will be useful both this term and
next.

Steps in the Rapid Critical

Appraisal Process

6. Decide which student is writing up the

appraisal for each of the studies selected by
the Group
7. Review the selected research papers
beginning with papers providing the
strongest evidence
 Use the appropriate Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt
Appendix D templates to do Rapid Critical
Appraisals of the strongest papers

Steps in the Rapid Critical

Appraisal Process

8. Answer each question posed by the

appropriate template
9. Provide a written rationale for each answer

The next step in the process, i.e., creation of a

PICO Group Evaluation Table, should be easier if
PICO Group members discussed papers with each
other during the Rapid Critical Appraisal phase

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Steps in the Rapid Critical

Appraisal Process
10. Submit set of Rapid Critical Appraisals for
review by an EBP expert who can indicate if the
PICO Group has a set of studies useful for
answering the PICO question

The next step in the process, i.e., creation of a PICO

Group Evaluation Table, should be easier if PICO
Group members discussed papers with each other
during the Rapid Critical Appraisal phase

Submission Directions for

7015, Winter 2011 Students
 Each student should submit one Rapid Critical
Review Appraisal paper for their PICO Group
 Submit during the first week of April
 Submit by email attachment
 Use Word format or save as a .rtf file
 Include full APA reference for the research paper
reviewed
 Name of submitted .doc, .docx, or .rtf file should
include both student’s last name and a nickname
for student’s PICO Group