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- What is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is a process that involves one’s ability to reason and evaluate information to solve problems and arrive at logical conclusions.
- What is technology assessment?
Technology assessment is the evaluation of a technology for
evidence of its safety and efficacy. It also encompasses considerations of patient
satisfaction, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness among several other factors.
Technology assessment is a three stage process. The first stage focuses on the technical
characteristics, the second on the aspects of diagnostic or therapeutic efficacy, and
the third on the clinical, economic, and social interests.
- What is evidence based medicine (EBM)?
The evidence based paradigm dictates that medical practice be guided by rigorous scientific investigation
rather than by the physician's own limited experiences.
The medical literature is the major source of evidence
on which to base practice. However, with the rapid explosion of medical information and knowledge, even well intended
publications contain biases and/or flaws that weaken the applicability of results. Consequently, one of the main principles of
EBM requires that the literature be examined critically and that only those results from robust studies be adopted into clinical practice.
- We hope that the subsequent pages will give you an understanding of the critical thinking process in evaluating what you read and hear. It is essential for the understanding of
study designs, impact of biases, and statistical analyses.
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