Premium
Systematic reviews: gatekeepers of nursing knowledge
Author(s) -
Evans David,
Pearson Alan
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2702.2001.00517.x
Subject(s) - observational study , systematic review , nursing , psychological intervention , health care , medicine , medline , nursing research , alternative medicine , randomized controlled trial , psychology , political science , surgery , pathology , law
• The past few decades have seen a considerable increase in the number of available health care products and interventions. This growth has been matched by a similar expansion in the health care literature. As a result of these factors, the demand for evidence to support practice is growing, but finding the best evidence is becoming increasingly difficult. • In response, the use of systematic reviews is increasing and they are starting to replace the primary research as the basis for health care decisions. • To date, these reviews have focused predominantly on effectiveness and so have been limited to randomized controlled trials. As a result of this, the interpretive, observational and descriptive research methods that are utilized by nursing have commonly been either excluded from the review or are classified as ‘low level’ evidence. • To address this, nursing must participate in the development of systematic review methods that better answer the questions posed by the profession.