Faculty & Staff Library Guide for Nursing & Public Health

The MUSC Center for Evidence-Based Practice uses the GRADE criteria to appraise research articles for inclusion in hospital order sets and guidelines. The GRADE criteria are utilized to evaluate the body of evidence used to make clinical recommendations. The "cheat sheet" below defines how the quality of the evidence is rated and how a strong versus weak recommendation is established.

• Therapy - Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
• Therapy - FRISBE version -Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
  • How to Use an Article About Therapy JAMA. 1993 Dec 1;270(21):2598-2601.
  • Estimating the size of the treatment effect
  • Therapy CAT Template (Word document)
• Diagnosis - Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
  • How to Use an Article About a Diagnostic Test. 
    JAMA 1994;271(5):389-391 and JAMA 1994;271(9):703-707.
  • Likelihood Ratios
  • Fagan's Nomogram (pre-test probability - LR - post-test probability)
  • Diagnostic Test CAT Template (Word document)
• Prognosis - Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
  • How to Use an Article About Prognosis.
    JAMA. 1994 Jul 20;272(3):234-237.
  • Prognosis CAT Template (Word document)
• Harm - Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
  • How to Use an Article About Harm.
    JAMA. 1994 May 25;271(20):1615-1619.
  • Estimate of Risk
  • Harm CAT Template (Word document)
• Systematic Review - Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
  • How to Use an Overview.
    JAMA. 1994 Nov 2;272(17):1367-1371.
  • Systematic Review CAT Template (Word document)
  • Table for Comparing Several Types of Systematic Reviews
• Practice Guideline - Critical Appraisal Worksheets (PDF)
  • How to Use a Clinical Practice Guideline
    Based on the Users Guides to Evidence-based Medicine 
    JAMA 1995;274(7):570-4 and JAMA 1995;274(20):1630-2.
  • Clinical Guideline CAT Template (Word document)
• Differential Diagnosis - Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
  • How to Use an Article About Disease Probability for Differential Diagnosis
    JAMA. 1999 Apr 7;281(13):1214-1219.
• Economic Analysis - Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
  • How to Use an Article on Economic Analysis of Clinical Practice
    JAMA 1997 May 21; 277(19):1552-1557 and JAMA 1997 Jun 11; 277(22):1802-1806.
    (Published erratum in 1997 Oct 1; 278(13):1064).
  • Economic Analysis CAT Template (Word document)
• Qualitative Study -- Critical Appraisal Worksheet (PDF)
  • Qualitative Research in Health Care A. Are the Results of the Study Valid?
    JAMA. 2000 Jul 19;284(3):357-362.
  • Qualitative Research in Health Care B.What Are the Results and How Do They Help Me Care for My Patients? 
    JAMA. 2000 Jul 26;284(4):478-482.
• Quality Improvement
  • How to Use an Article About Quality Improvement JAMA 2010;304 2279-2287