Epidemiology -Critical Appraisal

Construct a research question that seeks to address a specific aspect of the issue of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. • Select five studies relevant to your research question about antimicrobial resistant bacteria (a mixture of observational and RCTs, supporting and not supporting the hypothesis). • Rank the studies according to the FORM (Hillier, et al., 2011) or GRADE levels of evidence (The GRADE Working Group, 2008). • Review the frameworks in the Learning Resources (Bonita, et al., 2006; Rychetnick, et al., 2006; Young & Solomon, 2009; and the critical appraisal skills program (CASP) checklist). Write a 2,500-word paper that: • Introduces the topic and clearly outlines your research question and the justification behind it • Outlines the selection strategy that you used to retrieve the five studies • Briefly rank the studies using either the FORM (Hillier, et al., 2011) or GRADE levels of evidence (The GRADE Working Group, 2008) • Critically appraises the studies using one of the frameworks outlined in the Learning Resources (Bonita, et al., 2006; Rychetnick, et al., 2002; Young and Solomon, 2009; or the CASP checklists), including an assessment of the suitability of the study design to answer the research question, analysis of the potential for bias, confounding and chance errors and an evaluation of ethical considerations • Reaches a conclusion as to which is (are) the highest quality study(ies) and why • Considers the potential for the study findings to be implemented in policy and practice • Makes recommendations to address any research gaps you recognise Assessment Criteria • Knowledge and understanding of critical appraisal procedures, including search strategies and the hierarchy of evidence accepted by the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council. • Critical analysis of five articles (Please note the articles have been selected and the research question is as follows Qn: How is antimicrobial resistance transmitted between patients in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) / Critical Care Units (CCUs)? ) using one of the frameworks listed in the Learning Resources • Interpretation of the findings of the critical appraisal to reach a conclusion as to the quality of the studies and their potential to be implemented in policy and practice • Academic presentation, including professional language and APA formatting and referencing