this question is not stupid! i cannot give a fully considered response just
now but i would like to point out that case reports can achieve at least 3
things:
1. cast a spotlight on underinvestigated or poorly considered areas
2. generate research questions
3. falsify hypotheses
we should judge case reports by how well they do these things
--
Kev Hopayian, Seahills, Leiston Rd, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5PL, England
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>From: Mark Gabbay <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Stupid question?
>Date: Mon, Dec 6, 1999, 4:59 pm
>
> This may seem like a stupid question, but I'll try and
> explain the logic. I'm tutoring a group of 3rd year nedics
> on an 4 week special study module, a literature review in
> drug misuse, and a couple of them have focused on an area
> where the literature is only case reports and series'.
> WHilst I'm aware that Cochrane and others ahve published
> criteria for judging RCTs etc. is there anything out there
> which helps (preferably in a systematic way) judge the
> quality of case reports/series', when that's all there is
> in the way of evidence. An example is the severe
> adverse effects of MDMA. I'm aware I may have missed
> something obvious, and that there may be an illogicality in
> the question, as case reports, as has been discussed before
> on this group, have a limited usefulness as evidence etc.
> but the students' task has raised an interesting issue I
> thought. My first thought was that it wasn't reasonable to
> try and judge the quality of such evidence, but that seems
> too nihilistic.
>
> Thanks for your time.
>
> ----------------------
> [log in to unmask]
> Mark B Gabbay FRCGP Dip.Psychotherapy DFFP
> Senior Lecturer in General Practice
> Department of Primary Care
> University of Liverpool
> Whelan Building (2nd Floor)
> Quadrangle, Brownlow Hill
> Liverpool L69 3GB
> Tel 0151 794-5610(office)-5597(Secs)-5604(fax)
>
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