Murad Mohammad Hassan, Sultan Shahnaz, Haffar Samir, Bazerbachi Fateh
Evidence-Based Practice Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Center for Chronic Diseases Outcomes Research, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
BMJ Evid Based Med. 2018 Apr;23(2):60-63. doi: 10.1136/bmjebm-2017-110853. Epub 2018 Feb 2.
Case reports and case series are uncontrolled study designs known for increased risk of bias but have profoundly influenced the medical literature and continue to advance our knowledge. In this guide, we present a framework for appraisal, synthesis and application of evidence derived from case reports and case series. We propose a tool to evaluate the methodological quality of case reports and case series based on the domains of selection, ascertainment, causality and reporting and provide signalling questions to aid evidence-based practitioners and systematic reviewers in their assessment. We suggest using evidence derived from case reports and case series to inform decision-making when no other higher level of evidence is available.
病例报告和病例系列属于非对照研究设计，因偏倚风险增加而为人所知，但它们对医学文献产生了深远影响，并不断推动我们知识的进步。在本指南中，我们提出了一个对源自病例报告和病例系列的证据进行评估、综合及应用的框架。我们提出了一种基于选择、确定、因果关系和报告等领域来评估病例报告和病例系列方法学质量的工具，并提供信号问题，以帮助循证医学从业者和系统评价者进行评估。我们建议，在没有其他更高水平证据可用时，使用源自病例报告和病例系列的证据来为决策提供信息。
