If you need support in Critical Appraisal, you can complete this elearning programme, through elearning for healthcare portal. Find out more below: 

"The critical appraisal programme has been designed to enable the healthcare workforce (clinical and non-clinical) to build confidence in the critical appraisal process when applying and evaluating research.

As the next step to research review, critical appraisal is the process of assessing the reliability, importance, and applicability of evidence. It can be applied to a range of written work such as formal research projects, studies and professional development to check validity and determine value.

This programme aims to support NHS colleagues with understanding the different methods and tools to carry out critical appraisal of research, through 8 bite-sized modules.

By the end of the programme, learners will be able to:

• describe the following terms; critical appraisal, bias, internal validity and external validity
• distinguish between different types of study designs and their strengths and limitations
• assess the appropriateness of methods used to conduct a randomised controlled trial, systematic review, diagnostic study and qualitative study
• interpret commonly reported results found in clinical papers
• identify different types of critical appraisal tools and their strengths and limitations

Applicable to health and care staff at all levels, this elearning may be ‘dipped into’ for reference or completed as a whole to obtain a certificate."

About the elearning sessions

This elearning programme includes 8 sessions.

1. Introduction to Critical Appraisal
2. Introduction to Health Inequalities
3. Introduction to Critical Appraisal of Randomised Controlled Trials
4. Introduction to Interpreting Results for Critical Appraisal
5. Introduction to Critical Appraisal of Systematic Reviews
6. Introduction to Critical Appraisal of Qualitative Studies
7. Introduction to Critical Appraisal of Diagnostic Studies
8. Introduction to Critical Appraisal Tools

The sessions are short, with each topic taking approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Each session includes reference links to further resources should learners choose to check their understanding throughout the programme.

To access this programme, click here

Further Support

Interactive Resource:

Understanding Health Research: a tool for making sense of health studies

• This tool will guide you through a series of questions to help you review and interpret a published health research paper.

Books: 

If you require further assistance, please email ian.rennie@cpft.nhs.uk