How to perform a critically appraised topic: part 1, ask, search, and apply.

Abstract

This article outlines the first three steps involved in performing a critically appraised topic for studies of diagnostic tests: Ask, formulate a question; Search, search the literature; and Apply, apply a level of evidence to the retrieved literature. Critically appraised topics provide a structured approach to formulating a clinical question, effectively searching the literature, assigning a level of evidence to the obtained literature, appraising the literature, and making recommendations for clinical practice.