title: Desired attributes of evidence assessments for evidence-based practices.
abstract: In this paper we describe three approaches to assessing evidence for stakeholders interested in evidence-based practices: narrative reviews, systematic reviews (including meta-analyses), and registries. We then compare the approaches in terms of the degree to which they posses desired attributes of evidence assessments. Our review suggests that hybrid approaches that combined the best features of all three should be pursued to further the use of evidence-based practices, and that such hybrids are possible given the capacity of the World Wide Web. We conclude by stressing the need for empirical research on evidence assessments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, Human Services Research Institute and Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA. sleff@hsri.org
authors.forename: H Stephen
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Leff
authors.forename: Jeremy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Conley
mesh_terms: D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D033262:Narration; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012042:Registries; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity