GCU Levels of Evidence Discussion

Respond to discussion below:The levels of evidence was created as a grading system to score the effectiveness of a particular intervention. An “A” was given as a grade if there was good evidence to support the intervention. It can be explained like a pyramid to rate how strong or weak the evidence is that supports the research. From the top of the pyramid to the bottom; systematic review is a summary of the review, meta-analysis is a quantitative process to examine independent results, randomized control trial randomly assigns groups during the research, control clinical trial compares effectiveness of medication by giving one group a placebo while the other receives the real medication, cohort study examines a population of people with a condition over time against a population of people without the condition, case control study is an epidemiologic study of people with and without a disease using a quantitative study, case series studies a demographic area of people who receive treatment, case study is a single person or unit that represents a group of people, editorial is the opinion or work of the author, opinion is a belief or conclusion of someone without evidence or proof, animal research uses a laboratory to experiment on animals to study the effects of treatments, and in vitro research is done in the laboratory outside the body.Practice change can be applied using evidence based practice; improving obesity in children. Systematic review will evaluate the intervention intended to be used to improve overall lifestyle habits. Meta-analysis will evaluate the data using quantitative process. A randomized control trial will randomly assign groups of children with and without obesity to be used during research. A control trial will compare the effectiveness of medications used or nutrition plans. A cohort study will exam children within healthy ranges against children with obesity to compare eating habits, exercise, and daily activities. A case study will be done on children within the demographic area to analyse why so many are obese to see if they are involved in extracurricular activities. The editorial will be included by the author/researcher based on findings in his or her opinion. The opinion on interventions working or not working can be formed by the researcher and anyone involved prior to data being collected with outcomes. Animal research can be used to compare different diets and exercise. In vitro would not apply here except to analyse data in the lab.McCarthy CM, Collins ED, Pusic AL. Where do we find the best evidence? Plast Reconstr Surg. 2008;122:1942–1947