CRITIQUE OF AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL sTUDY The validity ofthe study canbe affected by * Confounding bias + chance Assesing the Desig & Conduct ofthe Study * Chole ofthe study design + Choice of study population + Chole of exposure and outcome measures ‘Assess whether the inferences drawn from tae warranted based Themethods used "The representativenessof the study sample +The nature ofthe population from which it was drawn ‘Assssthe eldemiologcal tuys * design and how t was conducted + analysis phase hoes of study desen: * which study design was chosen and wast appropriate? ‘as their choice reasonable in relation to the study question that they wanted to answer? ‘The more appropriate the study design the more convincing the ‘evidence that willbe producedChole of study population: + Has the population been suffienty described? ‘description of the sociodemographic charatetes and ‘eneralizaity ofthe results + an physicians apply the results to particular patients? + Whats the soure population? + How were the partipats selected? + id the investigators try fra high partition rate? Choice of exposure and outcome measures “tas potential bas from the choice of tool for data collection been deat with? “Has enough or too much information been collected? + How ong have the participants been followed up? + Has poteti bis from observers been deat with? + Has potenti bis from the participants been dealt with? Chole’ study population: "Was the attrton rate high enough to change the characteristics of ‘the groups beng compared? +d they exlude any partipant afer recrultment? * Which comparison group? + asthe method of randomisation and aleation concealment been reported? Assessngte analysis phase of the study + Statistica analysis versus bilogieal interpretation ‘Have the results shown a cause-effect lationship? “His series ofconltons which wll prove cause-effect relationship when completed ‘What are policy implications?