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http://ijahsp.nova.edu Vol. 6 No. 1 ISSN 1540-580X |
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Karen Grimmer-Somers, PhD
Centre for Allied Health Evidence |
This edition of the Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice
presents an innovative systematic review by
Garrard et al: The Language of
Breathlessness. Instead of reporting summary statistics, as is the usual
approach when summarising experimental or observational studies into
secondary evidence, this paper reports on synthesis of words, phrases, and
themes used to describe breathlessness. This approach highlights how the
process of a systematic review of the literature can be used for a variety
of purposes.
The findings from a transparently conducted and well-reported systematic review should provide readers with comprehensive insights into the relevant literature, with particular relevance to clinical uptake of the findings.1 This particular review provides useful information for therapists working with patients who are breathless, as it identifies the most common and appropriate descriptors of breathlessness that could be used as outcome measures to chart the effectiveness of treatment. Readers are provided with a synthesis of common themes, words and descriptors, which provide a mechanism for reporting breathlessness in terms that are consistently internationally recognised. Not only will a review such as this assist clinical record keeping and
quality improvement activities, it will also assist researchers in using the
most comprehensive and completed descriptors of this health state, so that
research findings in the future can be more readily compared between
studies. |
| Grimmer-Somers, K. Systematic Reviews. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. Vol 6 Num 1, Jan 2008 | |
