Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2025
06:16
Involving Individuals with Developmental Language Disorder and Their Parents/Carers in Research Priority Setting
Published on: June 6, 2020
3.8K
A Clinician's Guide to Critically Appraising Randomized Controlled Trials in the Field of Speech-Language Pathology
Cara Donohue1,2,3,4, Giselle Carnaby5, Kendrea L Focht Garand6
1Aerodigestive Research Core Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville.
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
|February 7, 2023
Summary
This tutorial explains randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the highest evidence level for clinical practice. It offers speech-language pathology clinicians tools to critically appraise RCTs for effective patient care.
Area of Science:
- Evidence-based practice
- Clinical research methodology
Background:
- Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) represent the highest level of research evidence.
- Clinicians use RCTs in evidence-based practice to select effective patient interventions.
- Critical appraisal of RCTs is essential to evaluate study validity and applicability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide clinicians with an overview of RCTs, including types, appropriate use, and limitations.
- To equip clinicians with practical tools for critically appraising RCTs.
- To enhance the application of RCT evidence in speech-language pathology.
Main Methods:
- Tutorial format explaining RCTs.
- Presentation of practical appraisal tools, checklists, and definitions.
- Demonstration of critical appraisal using speech-language pathology literature examples.
Main Results:
- Clinicians will gain a foundational understanding of RCTs.
- Clinicians will develop skills in critically appraising RCTs.
- Improved ability to apply RCT findings to clinical practice.
Conclusions:
- Interpreting and applying RCT results is a critical evidence-based practice skill.
- This tutorial enhances speech-language pathology clinicians' knowledge of RCTs.
- Provides pragmatic tools for critical appraisal to inform clinical practice.
More Related Videos
08:53Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke
Published on: June 6, 2025
483
09:16Study Design for Navigated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Speech Cortical Mapping
Published on: March 24, 2023
1.5K
Related Concept Videos
01:11Blinding
2.5K
Blinding is a commonly used method of not telling participants which treatment a subject is receiving. Blinding is a critical part of a randomized control trial or RCT. It reduces the bias that affects the results. In an RCT, blinding is used in the form of a placebo. A placebo effect occurs when untreated subjects falsely believe they have received the treatment and report improved symptoms. A placebo or a dummy treatment is administered to subjects to negate the bias caused by such an effect.
2.5K
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
155
Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
155
01:16Clinical Trials
6.9K
Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
6.9K
01:12Hazard Ratio
198
The hazard ratio (HR) is a widely used measure in clinical trials to compare the risk of events, such as death or disease recurrence, between two groups over time. It reflects the ratio of hazard rates—the instantaneous risk of the event occurring—between a treatment group and a control group. This measure provides valuable insights into the relative effectiveness of a treatment by assessing how the risk of an event differs between the two groups.
For example, in a clinical trial...
For example, in a clinical trial...
198
01:11Clinical Trials: Overview
3.1K
Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
3.1K
02:07Blind Procedures
10.7K
Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which...
10.7K