Appraising qualitative evidence

Relate qualitative evidence to patient experiences

Qualitative studies can yield thick and rich descriptions of patient phenomena. When appraising qualitative evidence, certain criteria must be met for the evidence to be valid in its interpretation and application. The criteria for appraising a qualitative study primarily focused on the methods and the impact of the results on clinical practice.

Appraisal criteria for qualitative evidence

After reading the qualitatitve article, ask yourself these questions:

1. Was the selection of participants explicitly described and generalizable to my current clinical situation?

2. Were the methods used for data collection and analysis explicitly described and appropriate?

3. Are the results impressive?
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There are several criteria that must be met when appraising qualitative evidence: A thorough description of patient selection, a vivid description of method and data collection, impressive results, and the relative magnitude of the experience being described.