Study design and hierarchy of evidence for surgical decision making

Sheila Sprague; Paula McKay; Achilleas Thoma

doi:10.1016/j.cps.2007.10.007

Study design and hierarchy of evidence for surgical decision making

Clin Plast Surg. 2008 Apr;35(2):195-205. doi: 10.1016/j.cps.2007.10.007.

Authors

Sheila Sprague¹, Paula McKay, Achilleas Thoma

Affiliation

¹ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, 293 Wellington Street North, Suite 110, Hamilton, ON L8L 8E7, Canada.

PMID: 18298992
DOI: 10.1016/j.cps.2007.10.007

Abstract

This article provides a historical overview of the hierarchy of evidence for surgical decision making and discusses key study designs in the hierarchy of evidence. This encompasses meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies, including cohort and case-controlled studies, case series and case reports, and basic science studies. This article also reviews the principles and importance of evidence-based plastic surgery and describes several systems to rate the strength of the scientific evidence.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Decision Making*
Epidemiologic Methods
Evidence-Based Medicine*
Humans
Research Design*
Review Literature as Topic
Surgery, Plastic / standards