Medicine has used placebos as a methodologic tool to challenge, debunk, and discard ineffective and harmful treatments.
RD was involved in cohort identification, database linkage, the development of common methodologic structures and tools and analysis and interpretation of data.
However, it is important to note that despite a number of authors addressing these outcomes, the overall conclusions have limitations because of the differing methodologic approaches and assessment tools used, small sample sizes, short follow-up, and limited study of adult survivors of childhood cancer (Nagarajan et al, 2002).
All seven studies included in the meta-analysis fulfilled nine or more of the 14 criteria in the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool for methodologic quality.
This appraisal aims to evaluate each individual NASS guideline using AGREE II tool to demonstrate its methodologic robust and weakness.
We believe the methodologic approach used provides an evaluative tool that may help decision makers place into regulatory context health data appropriate to the current review of the PM NAAQS.
Our methods may not be directly transferrable to topics other than comparative effectiveness reviews of pharmaceuticals, such as nonpharmacological interventions or assessment of prognostic and diagnostic tools, which may require special methodologic features.
Data on epilepsy are still scarce in many parts of the world, whereas the available data are inconsistent because of differences in sampling frames, case definitions, measurements (e.g., point vs. period or lifetime prevalence), screening tools, diagnostic accuracy, and different methodologic approaches (Leonardi & Ustan, 2002).
In Figure 3, we report methodologic quality assessment using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for each trial.
