A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE CRITICAL-READING OF THE CLINICAL LITERATURE

Clinicians are bombarded by reports of new diagnostic tests or treatme nts for patients with spine problems. To provide the best possible pat ient care, clinicians need to be able to critically appraise the resul ts of such studies for validity and relevance to patient care. Importa nt questions to be asked of any description of diagnostic or treatment studies are the following questions: 1) Are the patients described in detail so that you can decide whether they are comparable to those th at you see in your practice? 2) Are the treatments or assessments desc ribed well enough so that you could provide the same for your patients ? 3) Was a clinically relevant endpoint measured? 4) Is there an appro priate comparison group? 5) Are potential sources of bias appropriatel y attended to? 6) Are the results clinically significant?