In this episode of This Is Why, Dr. Busti continues the Evidence-Based Medicine series with Step 3: Appraise — learning how to critically and systematically evaluate the evidence you find. Discover how to identify bias, assess internal validity, and determine whether a study’s results are trustworthy and applicable to your patient population.

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Dr. Busti explains how to use Critical Appraisal Tools (CATs), differentiate between publication guidelines and appraisal tools, and understand how to evaluate different study designs — from randomized trials to observational studies and systematic reviews.

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Learn how to interpret risk of bias, recognize high-quality research, and move beyond “abstract medicine” toward genuine evidence-based decision-making.

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Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard in this content.

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Table of Contents

00:00 – Welcome & series overview
01:05 – The role of “Appraise” in the 5 A’s
03:00 – Why we can’t trust abstracts alone
05:15 – Understanding bias and internal validity
07:20 – What “critical appraisal” really means
09:40 – No perfect studies: focus on process
11:30 – Using CATs to read papers systematically
13:45 – Publication guidelines: CONSORT, CASP, JBI
16:00 – Assessing risk of bias visually
18:10 – Sensitivity analysis and application
20:15 – Key takeaways & next steps