8 – Assessing all the relevant, reliable evidence
In this Chapter:
- Introduction (this page)
- Is one study ever enough?
- Systematic reviews of all the relevant, reliable evidence
- What can happen if all the relevant, reliable evidence is not assessed?
- Reports of new research should begin and end with systematic reviews
- References (Chapter 8)
Key points
- A single study rarely provides enough evidence to guide treatment choices in healthcare
- Assessments of the relative merits of alternative treatments should be based on systematic reviews of all the relevant, reliable evidence
- As in individual studies testing treatments, steps must be taken to reduce the misleading influences of biases and the play of chance
- Failure to take account of the findings of systematic reviews has resulted in avoidable harm to patients, and wasted resources in healthcare and research.
- Read more: Is one study ever enough?