Trustworthiness of Research Results: Significant or Not?

Abstract

Evidence informed practice relies integration of trusted research into decisions about care in collaboration with the patient’s wishes, available resources, and professional knowledge. In order to determine whether the research can be trusted, the professional requires an understanding of the quality of the research and potential for errors.  All health professionals receive a basic research course in their undergraduate training, but it is sometimes difficult to apply this knowledge daily. The focus of this article is to review core concepts central to error and design, and to apply these to determine trustworthiness using a decision tree.  It is hoped that this method will be helpful in examining future study findings and support decision making in your practice.