title: How to write a critically appraised topic (CAT).
abstract: Medical knowledge and the volume of scientific articles published have expanded rapidly over the past 50 years. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has developed to help health practitioners get more benefit from the increasing volume of information to solve complex health problems. A format for sharing information in EBP is the critically appraised topic (CAT). A CAT is a standardized summary of research evidence organized around a clinical question, aimed at providing both a critique of the research and a statement of the clinical relevance of results. In this review, we explain the five steps involved in writing a CAT for a clinical purpose ("Ask," "Search," "Appraise," "Apply," and "Evaluate") and introduce some of the useful electronic resources available to help in creating CATs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Health System, University of Michigan B1 132G Taubman Center/5302, 1500 East Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5302, USA.
authors.forename: Gelareh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sadigh
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Aine Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cronin
mesh_terms: D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D011871:Radiology; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D014956:Writing