title: A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: VIII: How to appraise an article based on a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because of qualitative researchers' abilities to explore social problems and to understand the perspective of patients, qualitative research studies are useful to provide insight about patients' fears, worries, goals, and expectations related to dental care. To benefit fully from such studies, clinicians should be aware of some relevant principles of critical appraisal. In this article, the authors present one approach to critically appraise the evidence from a qualitative research study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Critical appraisal involves assessing whether the results are credible (the selection of participants, research ethics, data collection, data analysis), what are these results, and how they can be applied in clinical practice. The authors also examined how the results could be applied to patient care in terms of offering theory, understanding the context of clinical practice, and helping clinicians understand social interactions in clinical care. By applying these principles, clinicians can consider qualitative studies when trying to achieve the best possible results for their own practices.
authors.forename: Joanna E M
authors.initials: JEM
authors.lastname: Sale
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Alonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrasco-Labra
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brignardello-Petersen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glick
authors.forename: Gordon H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Guyatt
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azarpazhooh
mesh_terms: D003757:Dental Implantation / Q000379:methods; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000592:standards; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014098:Toothache / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Evidence-based dentistry; critical appraisal; qualitative research