Summary:
All healthcare professionals benefit from an understanding of the principles of preparing reviews. This book provides expert guidance on the interpretation and practical application of systematic reviews. It is aimed at health professionals who, for any number of reasons, may decide to appraise and undertake reviews. This title simplifies and explains the key steps involved in reviewing literature, so that the reader is in a position to assess the recommendations of published reviews and practice guidelines, and indeed undertake a review themselves.

For this, the second edition, the book has been updated and revised in line with current thinking and the advancement of knowledge. This highly acclaimed book has been augmented with many new case studies for the new edition covering reviewing: qualitative research, safety interventions, practice guidelines, medical education literature, allied health research, and patient and consumer information. These highly practical case studies will help detail the wider application of the systematic review approach.

Authoritative, clear, concise and practical, this book will continue to be an essential text for all medical, surgical and health professionals who want to have an easily accessible, quick reference to systematically reviewing the literature.

• Successful previous edition
• Numerous case studies and practical examples
• Easily accessible text which has been highly praised in a whole wealth of reviews
• Set at the level between the basic introduction and definitive text, this book provides a valuable touchstone for all starting to critically appraise the published literature

About the Author(s):
Khalid S Khan is Professor of Obstetrics-Gynaecology and Clinical Epidemiology at University of Birmingham. He is Director of World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Research Synthesis in Reproductive Health at Birmingham. He is a clinician trained in systematic reviews and evidence-based medicine (EBM). Qualified in medical education he is also Lead for the Education Resource Centre in Birmingham Women's Hospital where he runs journal club and other EBM activities including evidence-supported ward rounds and workshops on critical appraisal. He is Director of Research and Development at his hospital and as a clinical academic he leads a number of systematic review projects, teaches undergraduates and postgraduates, and provides peer review to several clinical journals.

Regina Kunz is nephrologist at the University Hospital Basel and clinical epidemiologist at the Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics in Basel. She has comprehensive expertise in doing systematic reviews, meta-analyses and health technology assessments. Her clinical practice reminds her day by day how important it is to have high quality evidence syntheses at hand when advising patients and making management decisions. Her academic activities within the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group on guideline methodology and as board member of the Guidelines International Network G-I-N corroborate the need for high quality reviews and meta-analyses in all areas of health care, to provide physicians, patients and decision makers with sound recommendations, and the difficulties to deliver convincing recommendations in the absence of such reviews. She is founding member of the German Network EbM, editor of the German Textbook Evidence-based Medicine in Clinic and Practice, and has a great deal of experience in running teaching courses to systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the GRADE-methodology and evidence-based m

Readership:
All doctors, nurses and health professionals reviewing the literature