To appraise the information you have gathered, ask yourself the following questions:
- What are the results of the study?
- Are the results valid?
- Are the results relevant to the clinical situation I'm investigating? Will they help care for my patient?
In addition, you will need to evaluate the specific elements of evidence depending on its level. E.g. systematic reviews and RCTs will have different elements to evaluate. See the links below for tools built to help you appraise different levels of evidence.
A note on evaluation
In terms of evidence-based practice, appraisal and evaluation are slightly different. You will still need to evaluate the information you acquire based on its currency, the authority of the authors, and other criteria, much like you would evaluate any source you find. The CRAAP Test can help you evaluate the quality of information, but you still need to appraise that information based on its impact on your clinical situation.
