Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Evolution of and Trends in Health Care in the U.S.
Lecture:Evidence-Based Medicine
Slide content:Systematic Reviews - 2 9.2 Chart: Oxford EBM Hierarchy 12
Slide notes:Lets recall the hierarchy of study designs or the ladder of studies. Stronger studies, such as randomized controlled trials, float toward the top of the ladder; while weaker studies based on expert opinion, fall toward the bottom. Systematic reviews of a particular study design are considered stronger than individual studies. So for example, a systematic review of randomized control studies would be the highest rung on the ladder. A systematic review of cohort studies would be higher on the ladder than an individual cohort study. A systematic review of case control studies would be higher than an individual case control study. Case series and expert opinions are usually not combined in a systematic review. 12