Understanding Clinical Papers

Now in its second edition this book helps to unravel the process of evidence-based practice which requires clinicians to evaluate and collate information from the journals they read. The book uses actual papers to illustrate how to understand and evaluate published research, but goes beyond this to provide an explanation of a range of important research-related topics.This second edition has been markedly improved and extended, not only with the inclusion of a considerable amount of completely new material (including a chapter on measurement scales), but with a major sharpening of the existing text to improve clarity and flow. In addition, many of the examples taken from the literature have been updated to maintain the book's contemporary focus.The great strength of this book lies in the lively and accessible way in which it is written, making it particularly appealing to its target audience of practitioners and clinicians. Dealing with an already well-covered topic which can be dry and unpalatable, the authors manage to present their material in a colourful and interesting way. The language is clear and readable. It is well-structured, logically mirroring the sequence of good quality papers. The examples from studies are well chosen, interesting and at times entertaining in themselves. References are informative and help to contextualise the information. This is a most useful book which I would recommend in particular for students of all disciplines and practitioners involved in research activity. Accident & Emergency NursingThis book should be an essential addition to the personal libraries of all health care workers who need to use articles in journals. In these days of evidence-based medicine, this should apply to all physicians, nurses and other health professionals. OncologyThe writing style is amazingly clear and does not require formal course work in biostatistics or epidemiology.... We strongly recommend it for beginners and for easy entry into a complex domain and to experts who we think will enjoy it and who will find it useful as they teach, advise and help others. Quality in Health Care