• Finding and Appraising the Evidence by Amanda Burls and Anne Brice (link opens in new tab) — online training resources from HealthKnowledge (link opens in new tab)
• BestBETs Critical Appraisals (link opens in new tab)— test yourself by reading the same articles, and checking whether your appraisal matches theirs.

The Medical Library offers a variety of types of critical appraisal training. All sessions involve attendees reading an article in advance, and then discussing the article in a group.

Critical appraisal for NHS staff (link opens in new tab) — This course will help you understand how to critically evaluate medical research articles, with a particular emphasis on evaluating the reliability, trustworthiness, and applicability of an article in informing evidence-based practice and decision-making in a healthcare context.

Risk of bias assessment: systematic reviews (link opens in new tab) — This course will help you understand how to undertake a risk of bias assessment of a systematic review, assessing its reliability, trustworthiness, and applicability. The session uses the ROBIS tool to assess a preselected published systematic review.

• BMJ Learning – Evidence Based Medicine: a users’ guide (link opens in new tab) — After completing this module you should be able to:
  • Outline the reasons for evidence based practice
  • Begin to answer your own clinical questions
  • Understand the concept of “number needed to treat.”
• BMJ Learning – Understanding Statisitics (link opens in new tab) —This learning module should help you understand:
  • That the same trial results can be presented in different ways
  • The strengths and weaknesses of using ratios and differences to describe results
  • How to calculate a number needed to treat (NNT) from published papers.
• BMJ Learning – Understanding statistics: tips for hospital doctors (link opens in new tab) —This learning module should help you understand:
  • That the same trial results can be presented in different ways
  • The strengths and weaknesses of using ratios and differences to describe results
  • How to calculate a number needed to treat (NNT) from published papers.
• BMJ Learning – Understanding statistics 2: is there a significant difference? (link opens in new tab) —This module should help you to:
  • Appreciate when the results of a trial are statistically significant
  • Understand the difference between P values and confidence intervals
  • Determine whether an important difference has been excluded between the treatment and control arms of a trial.

Please note: the BMJ Learning modules require a BMJ Learning subscription – you cannot access them via Raven or NHS Athens.

Introduction to critical appraisal (link opens in new tab) - this is an online course developed by the Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy. It is an introduction to key critical appraisal concepts and different study designs. You can access this course with your NHS Open Athens account or your e-Learning for Healthcare Hub account.